A new owner for IC school

A MILWAUKEE-BASED BIBLE CHURCH has become the new owner of the former Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Saukville. Redeemed Christian Church of God, Household of God, plans to hold its first service in the building’s gym on Sunday, May 6. Photo by Sam Arendt
The former Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Saukville will be home to a new church in May.
Redeemed Christian Church of God, Household of God — a Milwaukee-area Bible-based church — plans to hold its first service in the building’s gym on South Dries Street on Sunday, May 6.
Father Patrick Wendt, pastor of St. John XXIII Parish, said the parish reached an agreement to sell the former school and parish house to Redeemed Christian Church for $240,000. The sale has been approved by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
The sale will displace Ozaukee Christian School, which has leased the building. The school has been looking for a building of its own for years, Principal Kris Austin said, noting they have looked at close to 80 possible locations.
The Rev. Sulaimon Jimoh said the school will remain in place for the coming school year, and afterward the school wing will be renovated into a church.
“Our first goal is to convert the building from a school to a church,” Jimoh said, noting the church’s ultimate goal is to add value to the community by hosting meetings, organizing retreats and evangelizing residents.
Jimoh said he is getting to know local charitable organizations to learn about needs of Saukville and to help the disadvantaged get employment and housing accommodations.
"We want to work with these organizations in Saukville because we are one community,” Jimoh said. “We want to help the community because the community is helping us.”
Jimoh said he was searching for a new location for the church for more than a year because he was renting space out of a basement and saw the need to find a permanent home for his parishioners until divine inspiration led him to Saukville.
“It was divinely picked for us,” he said. “I never heard about Saukville before. The way God does things is beyond human understanding.”
The church will also have a Bible-study program on Wednesdays, and there will be an all-night vigil the first Friday of each month.
“Those are some of the major programs that we’ll have,” Jimoh said, noting that every Thursday parishioners can pray together on the phone via a conference line.
Jimoh said his church has about 125 members, all of whom live in Milwaukee. He recently purchased a large van to transport members who are elderly or can’t drive.
“We want to have the people of Saukville come to our services as well and become part of our church,” he said.
“The more people we’ll have the stronger our church and community will be.”
Jimoh said he is still finalizing some of the paperwork with the village, but he expects to have a smooth transition into the new space.
In the meantime, he is praying for his new community.
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