The Southwest Conference Executive Board voted at their May meeting to put the Conference Office building, 917 E. Sheridan St., on the market for sale. This decision comes after six months of discussion and discernment about Conference and staff needs, financial and facility stewardship, and overarching Conference mission.

“The pandemic taught us a lot about how we function as a staff and conference. We found we could work efficiently and effectively from home offices, but we greatly missed our in-person collegiality and creative collaboration as a staff. We do need a place, but we don’t need as large a space to work in and manage,” said the Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons, Conference Minister.

“While the 917 building served good purposes over the years to fulfill our mission statement of being ‘extravagantly welcoming and affirming followers of Christ called to embody God’s unconditional justice and love,’ our world and the needs of our churches have changed dramatically,” said Dr. Lyons. “Our mission is the same, and now this decision to sell the property is part of a larger vision to use resources to equip our clergy and congregations in new ways rather than keeping them tied up in bricks and mortar.”

The Board considered the changing nature of both the world and the conference since “The 917” was purchased in 2012. When purchased, in addition to providing offices for staff, committees and small events were hosted regularly at the Conference office. There was a vision of having a space to host start-up ministries, and for local neighborhood rentals. The Arizona Disciples of Christ regional staff leased the second floor of offices which continued a tradition of ecumenical sharing that had been a value from the previous Interchurch Center on 24th St. for many years. These previous uses are no longer priorities or viable.

The sale of the Conference office property is consistent with the decision to sell other conference-owned properties, such as those previously used by Iglesia Congregacional La Trinidad in El Paso and West Congregational UCC on Thomas Rd in Phoenix.

A leased office space in central Phoenix, the Highway 51 corridor, or light rail corridor is sought, with two private offices, a reception/office, a small meeting space (4-6 people), and necessary storage for permanent files.