Building SWAP with KingsWay—Timeline
Pressing Ahead and Timeline
What is the SWAP?
Kingsway Community Church (KW) approached us and has offered to exchange its facility for Grace Bible Church’s facility. We have agreed in concept to a sale involving the exchange of our facility and property (assessed at $3.4MM), and some amount of cash yet to be determined in negotiation.
[For more information about the “Why?” and the “What?” of the SWAP, follow and read along at this link:]
What is the timetable for the SWAP? [UPDATED 3/11/26]
If the SWAP would go forward, we anticipate the following outline of next steps, subject to adjustment as the process moves forward:
SPRING 2025
Kingsway leadership and Grace Bible elders began exploring the serious possibility of some kind of facility swap, a mutual selling and purchase of our respective properties.
SUMMER 2025
GBC elders outlined for the congregation that opportunity of the SWAP, soliciting feedback and eventually collecting survey responses from the church body.
AUGUST 18, 2025
Grace Bible Church gathered for worship at Kingsway’s facility, being graciously hosted by their church. Overall, our church was blessed to be altogether in worship, and to fellowship in the spacious foyer afterward.
EARLY SEPTEMBER 2025
The survey results came in from nearly all of the member and regular attending families. Among our members specifically, nearly 90% families indicated that they were “for” the SWAP.
NOVEMBER 9th
Tabulate pledge cards. UPDATE: The congregation pledged to give over 1.3MM toward the SWAP. That number exceeds our current mortgage, and any excess funds will be used for closing costs and set-up costs as we move into this new facility.
MID-LATE NOVEMBER
The HVAC study committee (comprised of GBC folks) will make recommendations to the Elders. UPDATE: Upon the assessment of two HVAC service companies, GBC intends to maintain the use of the current HVAC systems in KW’s building. These service companies, while they could not guarantee it, reassured us that it will be reasonable and much more economical to keep those systems running. This recommendation means that there should be little initial cost, relative to the HVAC units. But, the units’ age and size demand that we start aggressively saving toward their ongoing service, and eventual replacement within the next ten years. As part of the negotiated deal, this outlay explains, in part, why KW is willing to offer us favorable terms on the seller financing.
MID-LATE NOVEMBER
A Letter of Intent (LOI) will be submitted to KW outlining terms needed to negotiate a final contract. This LOI is not legally binding. If the LOI is accepted, additional due diligence will be conducted, a formal loan application will be submitted, and final contract terms will be negotiated.
LATE DECEMBER
After formal negotiations, both parties (KW and GBC) agreed and signed the Letter of Intent (LOI) on December 31, 2025. This event proves a significant step forward toward seeing the deal through. Both churches have agreed to initial financial terms, but there remains the finalization from our bank and the KW congregation for the sale.
EARLY JANUARY
Grace Bible Church’s bank indicated that they were wholly favorable to the terms (amount and rate), as laid out in the LOI, for the seller financing that KW offered us.
MID/LATE JANUARY [Updated 2/7]
KW’s leadership laid out the financial details for their congregation’s consent and general approval. They intended to give the church, at least, two weeks to pray and express concerns, especially upon visiting the GBC Property.
LATE JANUARY [Updated 2/7]
Snow and ice, providentially (!), prevented KW’s afternoon visit to the GBC property for consecutive weeks, delaying ample opportunity for their congregation to make an informed consent.
EARLY/MID-FEBRUARY [Updated 2/7]
KW’s congregation will visit the Coalfield facility on 2/8 in the afternoon. Both congregations will continue to pray and the respective church leaderships will be receiving feedback for a couple weeks. Assuming general consent, and approval from the church leadership, KW leaders will draft a “Purchase and Sale Agreement” (PSA) and deliver that to GBC.
MID/LATE FEBRUARY [Updated 2/7]
Assuming our bank’s and then KW’s approval, both churches will sign the purchase documents to enact the mutual sale and purchase of each other’s properties. —In view of this transaction, the Elders will then call on the congregation to fulfill the obligation as indicated on the commitment cards to pay off our current mortgage and provide additional funds to set up GBC in our new church home.
MARCH
We are under contract! KW and GBC have signed our respective “Purchase and Sale Agreement”s on Tuesday, March 10th. For the month of March, we’re asking our body to give their committed amounts to pay-off our mortgage by April 3rd.
APRIL
Through the sacrificial generosity of the Grace Body, the Lord raised 1.4M toward our mortgage and SWAP expenses. Praise Christ! We are now able to move forward with the financial “deal” to SWAP facilities. Closing our respective properties is scheduled for Monday, May 18th.
During this month of April, GBC will begin some initial improvements at Sovereign Grace Drive. Furthermore, our churches will, at this time, finalize moving details and dates. GBC will need many volunteers to help the transfer happen, from planning, coordination, and the physical transfer of lots of stuff! Please reach out to our transition team (James Lock, Wendy Routhier, and Marcos Silva) with ideas and offers to help this exciting transition.
MAY
The properties and funds will be transferred between Kingsway and Grace Bible. GBC will move and begin worshipping altogether at 14111 Sovereign Grace Drive Midlothian, VA 23114. Plans have come-together for structuring our services there (times and classes), and we are coordinating with Kingsway about a joint-service as we prepare to transition to our new church homes.
Turing to May, efforts will begin on property/facility improvements along with initial moving preparations. The first two weeks will involve initial *improvements on house and facilities.
After closing on May 18th, our moving efforts will begin in earnest! This move has been planned and coordinated by our Transition Team. This move will offer many opportunities to serve.
We pray that this, along with whole process, will exalt our unity in Christ and in the gospel of grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone! To Christ alone by the glory!
How can you help Grace Bible Church press ahead?
You can pray earnestly with us, that we would be wise stewards with the financial resources, property, space, and people that God has graciously given to us. Pray as well for all parties to remain united to Christ, and focused on our mission to make Christ known in Midlothian, and the nations.
We will also need the faithful and sacrificial giving of God's people in order to have the necessary funds to maximize this SWAP opportunity that God has blessed us with.
We need many willing, sacrificial servants. Service opportunities abounds as we look to move in at Sovereign Grace Drive, from the physical labor of moving and cleaning, to the initial improvements and modifications of the property.
If you can help out with initial maintenance projects, complete this form: https://gbc.onechurchsoftware.com/public/forms/169.
Consider how might help with the move by completing this “Moving” form: https://gbc.onechurchsoftware.com/public/forms/163.
This is a most exciting opportunity for our growing to church to serve our own body, and the surrounding community, and the increasing numbers trying to worship with us. We want to establish a place where GBC can gather, and hold out the gospel of grace with clarity, by means of that consistent and comprehensive exposition of God’s most powerful word—through the pulpit, classrooms, fellowship, and studies. And to think too, how our current facility will bless and serve another faithful gospel church excites us all!
All for Christ’s name!
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