Trust linked to Beyonce purchases New Orleans church

A trust with links to Beyonce Knowles-Carter has reportedly purchased a 100-year-old church in New Orleans.

According to Curbed NOLA, the 7,500 sq. ft. property on Camp Street was purchased by the Noble Jones Trust. The paperwork was reportedly signed by Knowles' family friend Jackson Keys.

The selling price of the church, which previously belonged to the Seventh & Camp Church of Christ, has been listed at $850,000, but the New Orleans Advocate's list of property transfers for the week of May 7, 2018 indicated that the property was sold to the trust for $100.

The building was reportedly built in the early 1900s, but it has been out of use because some of the church members have passed away.

The Times-Picayune reported that the Trust owns another property which has been listed as the mailing address for the Camp Street church. The address is reportedly the home where Knowles-Carter and her sister Solange were seen during the Krew of Barkus parade on Mardi Gras.

The Knowles family has also been linked to another property that lies a few blocks away from the Camp Street Church. The property in Garden District was purchased in 2016 by Sugarcane Park LLC, which is reportedly linked to a mailing address associated with Knowles-Carter's Parkwood Entertainment.

The zoning laws in the area indicate that the property can be used as a single or multi-family home, but it can still be used as a place of worship.

"Limited non-residential uses such as places of worship, historic neighborhood commercial establishments, and recreational facilities that are compatible with surrounding residential neighborhoods may be allowed," the City's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance stated.

The news about the purchase came after a San Francisco church held a "Beyonce mass," in which the themes of her music were linked to biblical themes.

During the mass, performers belted out several of Knowles-Carter's songs, including "Freedom" and "Flaws and All."

The event had drawn as many as 900 people, with some of the attendees saying they normally do not attend church services.

Grace Cathedral's Rev. Jude Harmon noted that the mass had drawn some objections through phone, social media and email, but many have expressed support for the event.

He maintained that the event was not a "cheap" attempt to get the people to attend church. "But Jesus used very provocative images in the stories He would tell to incite people to ask hard questions about their own religious assumptions. He regularly provoked. We're following in the way of Jesus," the minister added, as reported by The Christian Post.