The Church Of Beyoncé? Singer Buys Historic Church Building In New Orleans, And Her Plans For It Are Unclear

It’s not a stretch to say Beyoncé’s fans worship her, and now they could have an actual place to do it.

This week, the singer bought a 7,500-square-foot historic church building in New Orleans, one that TMZ noted was listed for $850,000. The church building had reportedly been out of commission for some time, and was up for sale as an investment property with the potential to be converted into housing.

It’s not clear what plans Beyonce might have with the church, but NOLA.com dug up some more details about the purchase. The report noted that the sale papers were signed by Vernell Jackson Keys, a close friend of the Knowles family, who represented a company known as Noble Jones Trust.

That company owns another church in New Orleans, the report noted, which has actually been converted to a home in the French Quarter where Beyonce and her family have been spotted during Mardi Gras.

But the report noted that putting homes in the church that Beyonce just purchased seems unlikely, at least in the immediate future.

“What’s different is the Camp Street 7,500-square-foot property looks ready to host a worship service, and it would take an extensive renovation to make it home-ready,” the report noted. “The area is zoned HU-RD1, which means compact residential properties fit the bill.”

While most headlines note that Beyonce bought the church, NOLA.com said it was actually unclear whether it was from her or her sister, Solange Knowles.

Beyoncé has purchased her very own church https://t.co/N65DJyElqA pic.twitter.com/KHCqyjKEWb

— Complex (@Complex) May 20, 2018

Many of Beyoncé’s fans joked that the church could be a place where they literally worship the singer — and the idea wouldn’t be that far-fetched. As the Mercury News noted, a cathedral in San Francisco hosted a Beyonce-themed worship service last month, one that tied in religious worship with some of the singer’s biggest hit songs.

The service had a message about liberation, some classic songs about overcoming oppression, and readings by black women. Though it drew some snickers, the Beyonce-themed service was also praised as a way to draw more young people back into the church, hooking in a generation that surveys show has drifted away from regular church attendance.

So far, Beyonce has not made any kind of statement about the church she purchased and there is no indication what the plans are for the building.