Churches

[Jcostin]

See a lot of folks recommending churches as good places to detect. Who do you normally ask permission at the church...the preacher, the congregation, the trustees?

 

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[Markomyt1]

Start with the Pastor.

 

[hunting for Wheaties]

See a lot of folks recommending churches as good places to detect. Who do you normally ask permission at the church...the preacher, the congregation, the trustees?

You will probably want to ask the pastor and he or she will probably ask the congregation if it is ok

 

[dholland02]

I just hunt them, never had a problem with anyone.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I just hunt them, never had a problem with anyone.

Wow, you're going to get "roasted" now dholland. Tsk Tsk.

Seriously now, if I understand what dholland is getting at, is this (if I can disect it please):

a) on the one hand: yes: churches are private property. No one would debate that.

b) however, notice the TYPE of "private property" it is. For example: SO TOO are shopping centers "private property". right? Yet none of us would think we need permission to waltz around a shopping center. Or to do something odd like whistle dixie, etc... In other words, yes it's private property, but it's more on the order of "permission to pass revokable by owner", or something to that effect.

c) So unlike someone who comes into your home, churches and something like a shopping center are thought of differently. Heck, in fact, they WANT you go to that church, that shopping center, etc... right?

d) Yes I know there's lots of flaws in this, and someone is sure to point out that merely walking there, attending there, etc.... is different than "digging holes" Yes, I grant that. But just trying to say, there are varying types of private property when you think of it.

When I was a Jr. High kid, our school bus picked up the neighborhood kids at the curb adjoining a Baptist church. Ie.: sort of at the end of a gravel parking lot. The kids would line up, to board the bus everyday. This was one of those sort of lawns or properties, where ..... there's really no demarkation of where the sidewalk ends, and the lawn starts. The lot and/or turf just sort of extends all the way to the street's edge-type-of-thing.

So when I got my first detector, as a kid, and wondered "where do I take it?", I thought of our bus stop as a logical place. Since .... afterall, kids had done the same as I was then-presently doing, since the earlier 1960s at least. So off I went and "helped myself" to this area. As I finished working our immediate loading zone, it was only natural to continue to wander further and further, till.... I was probably on the lawn of the church itself. Closer to the front doors than the street now But what did I know, I was just a dumb kid, haha. I got several silver coins and wheaties out of that church yard as I recall, and never thought anything about it. I even recall a janitor coming out one day and asking what I was doing. He just shrugged his shoulders, and walked back in. In retrospect, I'm sure... yes ... he could have booted me (or worse), but alas, these were the innocent 1970s, and I was a pimple faced little kid on his new toy. how cute, eh?

But in all that time, even though, I instinctively knew not to go on someone's "front yard", as that just .... seemed different. But for some reason, churches just seemed different. After my success (of a few silvers) on that yard, I wised up and thought "gee, this should work the same for churches all over my town". So I hopped on my Schwinn Stingray bike, propped the detector on the handlebars, and off I went! Never for a second thought that this was somehow wrong or disallowed. I recall being booted from only a single one (which perhaps is when I began to realize, "wait a second, ... hmmmm ... and re-think it). haha

 

[TheRingFinder]

To tell you the truth, most churches have been gone over soooooooo many times. Probably not worth the time, but if you are going to - Ask the pastor. There is no firm way to approach it as it is let say: Part public / yet private? Tough call.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

I dont ask anyone BUT... I only hunt churches if they have a gathering area, or some sort of playing fields. I have poked around in the front of some, but wasnt worth staying.

I dont see how its classified as Private Property.....Who Owns it? The Pastor?...Who pays taxes on it...Oh yea...probally noone.

But like anywhere, I always try and make it look like I was never there

 

[dholland02]

Wow, you're going to get "roasted" now dholland. Tsk Tsk.

I'm sure I will and it won't be the first time i got crucified over my veiws on this topic , and I'm sure it won't be the last

 

[fmerg]

Churches are private property. The government is not allowed to own or operate a church, and government ownership is the primary requirement to be public property. Any and all property owned by the church, including the parking lot, lawns, cemeteries, etc., would all be private property and access is restricted even if not posted.
shopping centers are considered "public access private property" or "public accommodation private property" the owners of the land can set rules for access (ie no posting of bills"

 

[Tired Rooster]

I have hunted churches and I always ask permission. Not necessarily from the pastor though. I have walked in the church and found the church office. Usually there is a church secretary.......introduce, explain, ask permission. I live in a rural area...some smaller churches w/o an "office"....best to find some one that can get you a contact to that church. Bottom line.....I would not hunt a church without asking!

 

[Nickleanddime]

I hunt them 3ft from the sidewalks and sometimes around the parking lot edge. But never get onto the property, just access areas. Now I've hunted old abandoned churches here in town,23 to count, and love those. Only people that talk to me have questions, even had owners show up a time or two and just say hi and we both go about our day. I get more nervous about hunting schools and parks that's destruction of state property if they choose to involve the cops. Destruction of private isn't as bad, most of the time it can be taking care of as it happens. But public places has the "community" opinion they have to uphold, or zero tolerance. But always get permission from private homes or businesses that are active or inhabited. People maintain those and might not want you in the grass.

As far as walmart parking lots, I hunt those at the edge and always asks the store manager. Most times if their not in their number will be hanging or posted somewhere. Just give them a call.

 

[KevinBoise]

I would just say i went to that church occasionally for mass/services they offer. And say i had talked to someone whom i can't remember their name that has said it was alright for me to do so. But then again i'm still a "kid" compared to most of you older people who go about it the "correct" way. But with churches... I'd think you would want to find the older ones around your city. For me in downtown boise their are plenty of Old churches. The problem is that they are mostly on main roads and have no actual land due to the city growing over the last 50 years. With that being said, I wouldn't want to be digging around in the little land that they do have in front of traffic.

 

[Nickleanddime]

Old doesnt alway mean there's good stuff there. It's a common new mder mistake. I made it, alot of us have. You must remember that 100 years ago 10.00 bucks was sometimes a few months if not a years earnings. After the 10% ties to the church they didnt carry much to church. 10% of a weeks earnings might have been .01 cent. So dropped money, jewelry ect. Is alot more scarce. When hunting old places look for places that had the upper class living or using the spot. Most items you'll find is what a kid dropped or buried. Most jewlery is adults from it being ill fitting or at churches could have fell out of a casket or priest pocket or ties pouch.

On top of all that, older structures might have had work done in the yard at any time. Soil brought in, taken out. Utility work, streets expanded, sidewalks put in or removed. The building burned down and a newer one put up. They'd just scrapped the dirt from the outside towards the hole left. That's why it's a good idea to search inside old foundations because the fill might be the yard dirt. And what's in the yard might only been showing for a few years. Metal detectors have been around for 30 plus years its bit to say it hasn't been searched plenty of times before. Not saying there's nothing there. A missed coil overlap could miss a gold ring lol. But it's more like the lottery then a sure thing finding something good.good luck out there.

 

[Jcostin]

Thanks everyone. I've detected my church and only found one silver dime and one buffalo nickel. I did find several wheat cents and some clad. I feel as though it was cherry picked long ago.

My biggest reason for asking was because it seems that everyone includes churches in their list of places to search, but I never saw anyone saying who to ask permission. A new MDer getting the list of places thinking a church yard is the same as a park, might find themselves in a situation. Shoot...I even cut an electrical line burrows too shallow at my own church.