Rock Church,  a well known megachurch in San Diego, Calif., has purchased a strip club.

In December a strip club called The Body Shop closed its doors after 50 years. This week, Rock Church pastor Miles McPherson told 10News the intention behind purchasing the property even though it already owns a school and five campuses in San Diego County.

“We thought it was a great idea because we know the pain that goes on in that building,” McPherson told 10News. “Not just the women, but the men who go there and their families.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_X7T2DpGq/?hl=en&taken-by=therocksandiego

The former strip club is less than two miles away from the main campus of Rock Church. However, McPherson revealed that the church has not made concrete plans for what to do with the newly acquired property just yet.

“We don’t know what we’re going to do with the building, we just know what it won’t be used for,” McPherson said.

The community surrounding the strip club is filled with families who have had to see a large sign that says “nude girl” for decades. Now, Rock Church may be able to change that.

“It would be nice to put ‘Rock Church’ on top of that billboard, but that’s another step,” he said. “We’ll get to that. But you know the people in that community have been looking at that building for 50 years, and hopefully we can put something more positive in that building.”

While the exact plans for the former strip club remains to be seen, McPherson knows that he wants to show love to the people that once worked at the establishment.

“I want to tell you that we love you,” he said. “And you are welcome at our church.”

Those who know McPherson’s story may not be surprised that he is embracing the former strip club and the people who were associated with it. The preacher has been transparent about his life before becoming a preacher where he was an NFL player in the 80s who turned to drug use at one point in his life before Christ.

Now that he is redeemed, the pastor is on a mission to do the same for others. For more information about McPherson’s testimony and his church please visit https://www.sdrock.com/