Nope.

Southampton Church Officials Decline to Sell Church for $10 Million

By Renée Donlon

Ground beef: $2.69 a pound. Canned peaches: 2 for $3. The Southampton Full Gospel Church: $10 million.

So seem the prices at King Kullen this summer since the supermarket chain offered the Full Gospel Church $10 million for the ten acres it owns on County 39 in the village of Southampton.

Yet the church was not led into temptation by the million-an-acre offer. Though approached on four or five occasions by the supermarket, the church declined the proposal. Their reasons for passing on the proposition were not financial, but rather spiritual. Reverend Donald Havrilla explains that the offer was rejected because the church feels that it has a spiritual obligation to remain in its current location. “We believe God has us here, that we are here for a purpose,” he said. The Reverend went on to explain that part of that purpose was to take a “stand against abortion, the homosexual agenda, and other immoral issues and ungodliness.” He feels that it is the responsibility of the church to take “an active role and expose” such issues, and that the church can best do that by retaining its current place in the community.

And what does the community feel would be best for that place? Ann LaWall, Executive Director of the Southampton Business Alliance, believes that while the community needs another supermarket, the church’s property is not the right location for it. Her ideas, however, are not religious. Instead, they are based on another power that holds the Hamptons at its mercy: the traffic. “Absolutely, sure, we need another [supermarket],” claims LaWall, “but [the church] is not the proper location due to the traffic.” LaWall is concerned that shoppers entering and exiting a supermarket there would create more accidents on a “highway that is dangerous enough.”

That would suit the Full Gospel Church just fine as they say they have no future plans to give up their location. The church will not relinquish a property that’s acquisition was miraculous. Reverend Havrilla says the church views originally purchasing the land for “under $100,000 as a miracle, and that [they] are not looking to trade off on it.” Believers and nonbelievers (and anyone familiar with the price of real estate in the Hamptons) will agree that the price, if not miraculous, was at least amazingly lucky.

The story of how the church came to buy the property is equally fortunate. The Reverend explains that in 1985 the church, due to “growth needs,” was looking to move from its former Southampton location. Around that time, a visitor attended the church’s services. The “visitor suggested the ten acres on County Road 39,” said Havrilla.

The Reverend paused in his story to chuckle slightly as he recalled the Biblical line, “Oh ye of little faith” and then went on to tell of how he did not look at the property knowing the land in that area was bound to be too expensive. When the visitor called to see if the church had examined the property yet, the Reverend “couldn’t lie” and admitted they had not looked. The visitor again urged the Reverend to take a look. This time he did and the priced turned out to be…… well, miraculous.

When asked if the offered $10 million could be used towards a different but equally suitable location, Reverend Havrilla responded, “Where are we going to go?” citing the astronomical price of all real estate in Southampton. Also mentioning lawyers’ fees and other steps that “erode a lot of money,” the Reverend said, “It’s deceiving to think that you’ll come out of that with a total of $10 million.” And I suppose asking for another miracle in the form of $100,000 for ten acres in the Hamptons would just be greedy.

Besides, the Full Gospel Church feels that its prominent presence in the community should not be interrupted. Reverend Havrilla pointed to a decrease in the number of abortions performed at Southampton Hospital and openly wondered if maybe the church’s active opposition of the matter could be the cause. “Most churches, in my opinion, do not confront these issues with the energy they should,” said Havrilla.

Yet many community residents may prefer to not be subject to the church’s stand if it also means forgoing a stand in the supermarket checkout line. LaWall claims that the one Waldbaums supermarket in Southampton is not enough to meet the needs of the community. With no other large supermarket between Hampton Bays and Bridgehampton, there are just “too many people” and “no competition.” LaWall describes current shopping conditions as “a chance to meet everyone you haven’t seen in the last five years, but on the other hand, it’s a very small space.”

Like fitting shopping camels through the eye of a needle.