COR's Investors Tested, But They Still Have Faith

Hoping to be able to have some control on nearby commercial development, the Church of the Resurrection United Methodist Church set up COR Development LLC which offered to the public shares of stock for a project called Cornerstone of Leawood. The church is located in Leawood at 135th and Roe. Some church members invested from $1,000 to $600,000 in the project. Seven years later the project has had mixed success. According to the article they did meet these goals: extending 137th Street from Roe to Nall; easing access to the church by adding a street, getting parking easements in the Cornerstone development to use on Sunday, and acquiring by donation several acres south of 137th Street to build a future sanctuary (the church's third). It has been hard to development and sell the office space. According to the article, the church has a membership of 12,000. "On any given week-end, 8,000 members--thought to be the largest worship attendance of any Methodist church in the country--stream through its doors to attend services or Sunday school. The church offers an array of programs and ministries, and 12 pastors attend to members' spiritual needs."