Lights, camera, worship: Church buys shuttered Rochester movie theater for $5 million

ROCHESTER — After bouncing from school auditoriums to community centers, husband-and-wife pastors Andy and Christy Cass are ready to set down roots for the burgeoning church they founded five years ago.

Echo Church, a nondenominational church that has garnered a following with its approachable, music-driven services, announced this week it has purchased the former Cinemagic movie theater on Superior Drive in northwest Rochester.

The church paid $5 million for the 44,000-square-foot building, Andy Cass said. The immediate plan is to host worship services in one of the building’s 12 theaters before gradually expanding “at the pace of people’s generosity.”

“We are going to grow into this building like I grew into my childhood sneakers,” Andy said. “You just buy it a couple of sizes large, but in a couple of years you will fit into it really good.”

Echo launched in September 2019, just months before the start of the COVID pandemic. When stay-at-home orders prevented the church from holding in-person services, the Casses, who said they felt called to start the church, pivoted toward digital media. Using Andy’s background in video production, the church was able to continue building connections online during an otherwise isolating period.

The church had long considered buying the former Castle building downtown, where it held “portable” services once restrictions were lifted. But when those plans fell through, they turned to the Castle’s eventual owner, David Arnett, setting off a series of discussions that led them to the theater, also owned by Arnett.

“When we started this conversation, I really didn’t know how it was going to work, but we were able to do it,” Andy said. “I would just call it a miracle.”

Since they announced the purchase of the theater to their congregation, dozens of volunteers have stepped up to start converting the former theater into a place of worship. That work includes “putting some lipstick” on the property with new paint, flooring and furniture. It also means doing a deep clean of the entire building.

“You wouldn’t want to know what is between a movie theater seat,” Andy said with a laugh.

The Casses acknowledge taking on an entire movie complex is a big leap — their services typically draw enough to fill one theater. Still, they are confident they will continue to draw new members as word gets out about the new site, which will include more space for youth groups and other programming.

“There’s a lot of power when you meet people where they are at,” said Christy. “We really fight for having a real, authentic community that shows up for people.”