Abandoned Citrus Heights church building leaves behind questions

By Mike Hazlip—
Citrus Heights United Methodist Church, which operated for more than half a century at 7833 Highland Ave., now has plywood covering the windows and shards of broken glass in several places throughout the grounds. Weeds spring up through cracks in the concrete and the grass has yellowed.

An internet listing for the church says “permanently closed” and a phone call to the associated number was not answered. Attempts by Sentinel staff to contact two nearby Methodist congregations were not returned by press time Saturday.

Neighboring resident James Ryan said the church closed about a year ago, and the congregation left without securing the facility. Blight and vandalism soon followed, he said, until the windows were boarded up and a fence installed.

Citrus Heights is not the only area to see the closure of a Methodist church.

The Rio Linda Messenger reported the Rio Linda Community United Methodist Church ceased operating at the end of 2021. The decision was due to a “drastic” decline in membership and attendance, the report said.

During a visit to the abandoned Citrus Heights church building, an administrator for Faith Christian Academy, James Champlain, was found on site and told The Sentinel that the former congregation left everything behind. Champlain said Faith Christian Academy is renting the facility and he is working to open the classrooms for students starting school this fall.

Faith Christian Academy has been in possession of the property for about a week, Champlain said. The Academy is part of First Apostolic Church, located nearby at 7737 Highland Ave.

Despite the closure, the United Methodist Church website still lists the Citrus Heights congregation as active and describes the services as “traditional.”

“Our people are warm, friendly, supportive and mission oriented,” a statement on the site reads. “Our choir is a blessing, and our piano and organ duets are exceptional. Communion is open and celebrated the first Sunday of each month.”

The shuttered Methodist church was observed to have pews and chairs stacked along the walls, with the pulpit moved to one side along with an American flag. A plaque on the wall near the entrance shows the building was consecrated in 1961 under Bishop Donald Tippett.

Editor’s note: This article was prompted after several readers contacted The Sentinel inquiring about what happened to the former United Methodist Church location on Highland Avenue. To submit a news tip or question about a local topic, click here.