How Greater Allen AME Church in Dayton, Ohio Is Building Senior Housing Through a Land-Lease Model
On a quiet stretch of Dayton, Ohio—where older homes and longtime neighbors tell the story of generations past—Greater Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church has stood as a spiritual anchor for decades. Sunday after Sunday, the sanctuary has echoed with hymns, prayers, and the steady reassurance that the church is more than a building. It is a promise of care, continuity, and community.
Now, that promise is taking on a new form.
Greater Allen AME Church is preparing to build senior citizen apartments on land adjacent to the church, recently conveyed by CityWide Development Corporation. The apartments will be developed using a land-lease model, a strategy that addresses a critical need for senior housing while also fulfilling a long-term vision held by the church’s pastor, the Reverend Dr. Elmer S. Martin: to leave Greater Allen financially strong, mission-focused, and prepared for the future long after his time as pastor comes to an end.
This project is not just about bricks and mortar. It is a story of faith, foresight, and an unexpected gift—one that arrived when the Reverend Dr. Martin asked for a little and received far more than he ever imagined.
A Pastor Thinking Beyond His Own Time
The Reverend Dr. Elmer S. Martin is known among his congregation not only for his preaching but also for his practicality. Like many pastors who lead historic Black churches, he understands a hard truth: spiritual vitality alone does not pay utility bills, maintain aging buildings, or fund outreach in underserved communities. Churches that endure do so because someone, at some point, made the decision to plan ahead.
For the Reverend Dr. Martin, that planning was deeply personal. He often spoke of his desire to leave Greater Allen AME Church financially solvent—stable enough that the next pastor could focus on ministry rather than survival. He wanted the church to be an asset to the neighborhood, not a burden, and to generate sustainable income without compromising its mission.
That vision led him to look next door.
Adjacent to the church sat a plot of land controlled by CityWide Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization focused on revitalizing neighborhoods and encouraging responsible development. The Reverend Dr. Martin’s initial idea was modest. He imagined acquiring or leasing a small portion of the land—just enough to explore a development that could help the church build a financial cushion.
With that idea in mind, he walked into CityWide’s offices and made his request.
He asked about a small plot of land.
What happened next surprised everyone.
From a Small Ask to an Entire Block
Instead of offering a narrow parcel or limited arrangement, CityWide Development Corporation responded with an extraordinary gesture: they conveyed the entire adjacent block to Greater Allen.
For the Reverend Dr. Martin, it was one of those moments that felt both improbable and deeply affirming. What began as a careful inquiry quickly became a transformational opportunity. Land that had once been underused now held the potential to serve the community in a way that aligned perfectly with the church’s values and long-term goals.
The question was no longer whether the church could do something meaningful with the land, but how it could steward such a gift wisely.
An Example in Florida
As church leaders explored their options, they looked to an example that had already proven successful: Mt. Hermon AME Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Mount Hermon had demonstrated how churches could leverage land without selling it, using a land-lease model to develop senior housing that served the community while preserving long-term church assets. In Fort Lauderdale, Mt. Hermon partnered with developers to build senior apartments on church-owned land. Rather than selling the property outright, the church leased the land—typically for several decades—to a development entity.
The developer financed and constructed the apartments, while Mt. Hermon retained ownership of the land and received long-term income through lease payments.
For Greater Allen, the Mt. Hermon project offered both inspiration and a practical blueprint. It showed that churches could meet pressing social needs—like affordable senior housing—without giving up control of their property or sacrificing their future. “This has been a dream of my husband and me for years, and it’s finally coming true,” said First Lady Mrs. Patricia Martin. “No one should be homeless in the city of Dayton.”
The similarities were striking: historic AME congregations, communities with aging residents, and churches willing to think creatively about economic sustainability. The Reverend Dr. Martin saw Mt. Hermon’s experience as confirmation that Greater Allen was moving in the right direction.
How the Land-Lease Model Works
At the heart of the Greater Allen project is the land-lease model, an approach increasingly used by churches, universities, and nonprofit institutions that own valuable land but want to avoid selling it.
In simple terms, a land lease allows the landowner—in this case, Greater Allen AME Church—to retain ownership of the land while leasing it to a developer for a long period, often 50 to 99 years. The developer finances, builds, and manages the apartments while paying the church regular lease payments.
For the church, the benefits are significant:
- Long-term income: Lease payments provide a steady revenue stream to support church operations, maintenance, and ministry.
- Asset preservation: Because the land is not sold, it remains a permanent asset of the church.
- Reduced risk: Construction and operational risks are largely handled by the developer, not the congregation.
- Mission alignment: The church can ensure the project reflects its values, such as prioritizing senior or affordable housing.
At the end of the lease term, ownership of the buildings often reverts to the landowner, meaning the church could one day own both the land and the apartments outright.
For Greater Allen, this model offers a rare balance of stability and flexibility—serving seniors today while safeguarding the church’s future.
Why Senior Citizen Apartments Matter
The decision to focus on senior housing was both practical and pastoral. Like many cities, Dayton faces a growing need for affordable, accessible housing for older adults. Many seniors want to remain in the neighborhoods they know, close to their churches, doctors, and social networks, but rising costs and limited housing options make that increasingly difficult.
By building senior apartments next to the church, Greater Allen is creating more than housing. It is creating connection—between faith and daily life, between worship and wellness, between community and care. Residents will live just steps away from a church that has served the neighborhood for generations, offering spiritual support alongside safe, dignified housing.
A Legacy That Extends Beyond One Pastor
Pastors come and go, but institutions endure—or they don’t—based on the decisions made in moments like this one. Years from now, when new leadership stands in the pulpit, and the senior apartments are fully occupied, the story may still be told: how a pastor once walked into CityWide Development Corporation asking about a small plot of land, and walked out entrusted with an entire block—and with it, the opportunity to reshape the church’s future.
“This project is about more than building apartments—it’s about building legacy. We are stewarding the gift of this land so that our seniors can live with dignity today, and so that Greater Allen will stand financially strong and mission-focused long after I am gone. This is faith in action—honoring our past, serving our present, and securing our future,” said Dr. Martin.
For Greater Allen AME Church, the project represents more than development. It is faith put into action, vision matched with strategy, and a commitment to caring for both today’s seniors and tomorrow’s congregation.
