Newly formed Four Anchors Church wins Evesham approval to build worship area in unused office space.

Vacant office space across the country is being repurposed into many other uses, and now an Evesham office off Greentree Road will be converted to a 335-seat church.

The Evesham Zoning Board of Adjustment on Monday voted unanimously to grant a use variance to the Four Anchors Church to convert about 12,000 square feet of space at 9 Stow Road for Sunday worship and weekday bible studies and similar uses.

"We have a great church community but not a building home to meet in," Pastor Seth McCoy told board members. The church formed a few months ago. McCoy formerly was pastor at Fellowship Alliance Chapel of Medford.

Plans submitted for the first-floor church show much of the space occupied by the sanctuary for worship. The plans also show a lobby area, rooms for children and infants and church offices.

"It would give us a chance to utilize an otherwise-underutilized building during its off-peak hours," said Samuel J. Agresta, of Agresta Engineering & Planning of Cherry Hill, representing the church as the planner. He called it a "completely seamless fit."

Four Anchors Church will be a tenant in the building with a home theater design firm, a retail display designer, adult daycare, a laboratory equipment supplier and others.

The use variance was needed because the building is in an industrial park zone and churches are not a permitted use. Minor modifications are expected inside the space, but no exterior alterations or new signs are planned, the church's representatives said.