Fremont Building Restoration Project

Introduction and How to Help

On Sunday, 8/3 we announced that we have an agreement to purchase our beloved church building on 831 NE Fremont and with that comes the privilege and challenge of addressing roughly $617,000 of deferred maintenance over the next few years. We sprinted to see if we could raise the first $473,000 this summer in order to tackle the urgent roof replacement and closely-related projects before the rainy season. Through the generosity of this community and others, we had $536,000 (86% of the total project) pledged by 8/24. We could not be more encouraged at this incredible provision from God, our church family, and neighbors! With our phase 1 goal met (and then some!), we are now emphasizing the collection of gifts, both pledged and additional, and are no longer using our pledge form.

Here's how you can help us keep moving forward:

First, you can give as soon as you're ready via these options:

1. For larger amounts of $500, mail a check to 831 NE Fremont, Portland, OR 97212 made out to "Door of Hope NE" with "Building Repair" on the memo line.

2. For smaller amounts, feel free to use PushPay. Select "Building Repair" as the giving type. Since this extracts some fees this is not ideal for larger gift amounts.

   
   

Second, please continue to share this campaign with anyone you know who might be interested in helping to preserve a historic church building in inner Portland. We still have around $80,000 to raise for this project.

Updates related to our project timelines will be added below as we have them. Feel free to reach out to Pastor Cameron Heger (cameron@doorofhopepdx.org) with any questions at any time. Thank you so much for your interest and participation in this undertaking!

12/1 Status Update

We just gave a thorough update at church on 11/30 (listen here), which included the following updates:

We have 88% of the cash in hand for our total fundraising goal of $617,000, meaning we only have around $70,000 left to raise! We are also in various stages of discussion/underwriting with several potential lenders as we look to quickly secure a new mortgage on the building. Once we have the title and deed to the building (expected in Q1 2026), we'll be able to move forward with scheduling our first wave of repairs (expected in Q2 2026). We were unable to secure a mortgage by our early fall window to start the roof project before the rainy season, but we will be ready to move forward as quickly as our contractors are available after the rain. The money given to this project will remain untouched and designated only for the restoration project until work begins.

If you had given to the project as of November, you should have received a thank you note and a tax receipt. If you gave to the project but didn't receive a thank you note, please email Cameron (cameron@doorofhopepdx.org) as this indicates your gift was not identified for the building project. Total year-end tax receipts will be sent out in January.

Initial Update

This past Sunday we announced our intent to purchase the beloved Fremont church building we meet in and to make a significant investment in it. Our desire is to raise the money necessary to address long-deferred maintenance so that it would remain a thriving, beautiful, Jesus-proclaiming space in our city for years to come. Click here (audio/video) to hear the full announcement as it was given.

In short, this 111-year-old building that we love—with its perfectly familial size, beautiful simplicity, and deeply strategic location in Portland—needs significant restoration. After professional assessments, we've identified some urgent needs: a new roof, rafter repair, brickwork, window restoration, and more coming out to seventeen projects total over six years.

We're raising $617,000 to preserve this space for ours and the following generations of Christians.

Phase 1 is the urgent goal is $473,000 by fall (mainly for the roof), with the remaining $144,000 over the next few years for phase 2.

Here's the exciting news: You've already given over $37,000, and an anonymous donor has provided a $150,000 matching gift. We're already over 30% there!

This isn't just about maintaining a building—it's about ensuring this corner of Portland remains a place where the gospel is proclaimed for the next 100 years and beyond. Virtually any developer would love to buy this prime real estate and build something else. When church properties leave the kingdom, they almost never return. By giving, you're not just fixing a roof—you're saying yes to keeping this a sacred space.

It's our turn to care for what's been entrusted to us. Let's do this together. See above for how you can help.