Replacing poles with pews: Church buys former strip club for growing congregation

A church in Florida is planning to transform a former bar and strip club into a house of worship, trading in poles for pews and late Saturday nights for early Sunday mornings.

NewSound Church in West Palm Beach has been struggling to house its growing congregation, which has swelled to nearly 1,000 members, lead pastor Josh Mauney told WPEC-TV. He expects the acquisition of Double Dee's Ranch to solve the problem.

“I believe that God is opening up some doors that a 20-month old church can't open by themselves," Mauney told WPEC-TV.

The church currently holds services every Sunday at Wellington High School, which requires taking trailers full of lights and sound equipment to the auditorium, then dismantling and removing everything promptly afterward, according to the report.

Its new home at a refurbished bar and strip joint in a bustling corner of the city will accommodate 600 to 700 people who are, according to Mauney, looking forward to the shift in venue now that the deal is complete. It was in the works for a month or two, he added.

"The people that call NewSound Church home are overwhelmingly excited about the idea to take a space like this and see God do something amazing in it," Mauney said. “I don't mind being in a building that was a strip club any more than I mind somebody walking in our doors that had at one time in their life been a stripper."

While the pastor didn’t disclose details, the 20,000 square-foot-retail space had an asking price of  $9 million. Church services may begin early next year.

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NewSound Church didn't immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.