The Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn is proposing redevelop or sell three of its ACT properties in an apparent bid to improve its financial position.
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Plans to knock down St Luke's Church in Deakin to build eight supportive townhouses will be discussed at a meeting with residents next week.
The diocese is also considering developing the Bishop's house in Campbell into another eight supportive units.
It also applied to remove the concessional status of a four-bedroom house in Pearce and sell it.
Diocese general manager Trevor Ament said the redevelopments, which were in the concept planning and design stages, were part of a wider review of church property in the Canberra and wider region.
He said the church had to diversify its revenue streams in order to continue serving the community and the redevelopments were not indicative of financial trouble.
However a February ordinance said the diocese wanted to sell the Pearce land for the purposes of "debt reduction" as soon as the change of use was approved.
Mr Ament said that land use change had not yet been approved and stressed that the Pearce sale was to pay off a loan taken to upgrade the property four or five years ago.
Mr Ament said the diocese would retain ownership the Campbell and Deakin land, with new residents being able to acquire a sub-lease over part of the property.
The St Luke's parish was amalgamated with the Curtin congregation in October last year after consultation with patrons, Mr Ament said.
A 2013 overview of churches within the Canberra diocese said the St Luke's block was in need of development.
The church opened in 1959 and plans to replace the church hall with a more permanent worship space "never materialised", it said.
The overview said the parish council struggled with the "perennial" problem of the ageing driveway and the need to provide safe access to the church building.
Mr Ament said the Campbell and Deakin developments were targeted at people aged over 55 years in areas where there was growing demand for "modern, well designed adaptable housing that will support ageing-in-place".
He said the developments were consistent with the community facility zoning of the site, and with the low-density character of the area.
The property portfolio review comes six years after the diocese avoided a merger with the cash-strapped Bathurst diocese.
Last year the Bathurst diocese was forced to sell church property to repay an outstanding debt of $25 million to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Mr Ament said the decision to scuttle the proposed merger was made by the Bathurst Synod and the finances of the Canberra and Bathurst dioceses was "chalk and cheese".
The Deakin development will be discussed at a public meeting of the Deakin Residents' Association at the Canberra Bridge Club on August 16, from 6.30pm-8.30pm.
The Campbell development will be talked about at the North Canberra Community Council meeting at the Downer Community Hall on August 16 from 7.30pm.
