Lifebridge North Shore's Beverly Church Purchase Spurs Neighborhood Meeting

BEVERLY, MA — The proposed purchase of Beverly's historic Second Congregational Church by Lifebridge North Shore with the intent to turn it into a resource and community meals center for those in need will be the subject of a neighborhood meeting on Wednesday amid concerns from area residents that the church will become a de facto homeless shelter.

The meeting will be on Wednesday night from 6 to 7:30 in the Beverly High School cafeteria on Sohier Road. Those attending are asked to use the entrance located on the side of the school facing the student parking lot.

• Lifebridge North Shore To Turn Historic Beverly Church Into Drop-in Resource Center

The church, which was founded in 1713, said late last month the decision to sell was made "after careful deliberation" amid a decline in membership and a desire to "best honor its legacy."

Lifebridge North Shore plans to use the historic site as a Day Drop-in Resource Center to expand outreach, host community meals and events, and collaborate with other local agencies to deepen its impact.

"We are honored to carry forward the legacy of Second Church," said Jason Etheridge, President of Lifebridge North Shore. "This historic space will allow us to broaden our outreach and strengthen support for the people of Beverly and the North Shore."

But some opposition has grown since the announcement among those who claim the center will inevitably become a homeless shelter that could include hundreds of beds and attract a disruptive element to North Beverly.

Family Promise North Shore Executive Director Rachel Hand, who said her offices have already been located inside the church for three years as a "quiet home base for our work with families facing housing insecurity," said in a letter to the Family Promise North Shore community posted on social media that the church "is not going to be a shelter" and that "the hope is for it to be a place where people can go to access the resources they need to move toward stability."

"At a recent town hall, we heard deeply painful and misinformed comments," she said. "We heard folks express fears about the safety of their families, while perpetuating harmful stereotypes about people experiencing homelessness. These remarks reminded us how much work we still have to do to shift the narrative.

"The people we serve are already here in Beverly. In cars. In motels. On friends' couches. And yes, sometimes in tents. The presence of services won't create homelessness; it already exists and is growing rapidly. Services from organizations like Family Promise and Lifebridge will help end it. We will ultimately help make the community safer for everyone."

She said she hopes supporters will recognize the importance of the project and the value it will bring to the families served.

"We hope, more than anything, that you will join us in addressing the false narrative that is going to inevitably be shared in the coming months," she said.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)