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QUINCY, ILL. -- Churches across the nation have been seeing a record number of foreclosures.

However, it appears that local congregations are expanding.

"We've run out of space here so we've looked at all of our options and the best option seems to be to go to a multiple site in this town, a second location," Rev. Chuck Sackett, preacher at Madison Park Christian Church in Quincy said.

The church has seen so much of an increase in there congregation that they've run out of space. They're not the only church in the city that's looking to expand.

"So we're going to build 30 homes on minimum of ten square lots," Rev. E.L. Warren, senior pastor at The Cathedral of Worship Church said. "And then immediately after that we will start on our new facility that will be designed to seat 800 with an over flow to 1,600."

The Cathedral of Worship Church is ready to start construction on it's new facility. This runs contrary to what many parishes are experiencing.

According to Reuters, a recent reports show over 130 churches nationwide were sold by banks because of defaulting on loans. Many of them were hit hard by the 2008 financial crisis.
For the expanding churches in Quincy it's the congregation that kept them a float.

"It's just a lot of people who are deeply committed to faith and they want to see the church move and so they give effectively and generously," Rev. Sackett said.

A bigger congregation may mean more money but what about the smaller churches with financial problems?

"Merge with other churches," Bruce Rice, executive director at WGCA 88.5 Christ-centered, a non-profit, listener-supported radio station said. "If these churches that are declining and they have time paying there bills and all that, find another church that is ammenable to your theology and just join forces with them."

If merging isn't an option for some smaller churches, then there's always the traditional route.

"I think if you preach the right message then people will come and listen to you," Rev. E.L. Warren said.