A 26-person Bloomington church has closed its doors, but its final act is expected to put food on the tables of nearly 300,000 people across the Twin Cities. St. Mark's United Church of Christ turned the end of its seven-decade run into a major handoff to food nonprofits and a future affordable-housing project.
This was not a bankruptcy story. The congregation decided to close because of dwindling membership, while Pastor Jennifer Jaimez had served its members for 26 years, according to CBS Minnesota. After selling its property to Bloomington, the church distributed $600,000 among 21 nonprofits, including a $114,000 donation to Loaves & Fishes that, with a donor match, is expected to help feed nearly 300,000 people.
The Loaves & Fishes account of the partnership adds a quieter detail: St. Mark's volunteers had been showing up at meal sites month after month, sharing meals and building relationships with guests. The nonprofit says the church's final contribution is part of a summer matching campaign in which donations can be doubled up to $115,000, extending the congregation's impact beyond its own walls.
Church Property Heads Toward Affordable Homeownership
The property is getting a second life, too. The former church site is expected to become 13 affordable homes after the sale to Bloomington, with construction slated to begin soon, as reported by CBS Minnesota.
Current city materials show the housing plan is still being refined. The City of Bloomington's housing FAQ describes a goal of 16 owner-occupied units on the roughly four-acre property, while a separate City of Bloomington request for engineering services says the Housing and Redevelopment Authority is preparing the parcel for single-family or missing-middle housing. That procurement deadline is Thursday, adding a near-term development milestone to the congregation's closing chapter.
St. Mark's is disappearing as a church building, but not as a community institution. Its final balance sheet is being converted into meals for neighbors, support for nonprofits and a place for future Bloomington homeowners to put down roots.
