Beauty and the Faith is a classical architectural and real estate development holding company positioned to capitalize on the growing market need for multi-purpose spaces. We facilitate community and provide classical and conservative-minded individuals venues that combine attractive educational and entertainment opportunities to further the Kingdom of God.
The Problem
Woke movies, modernist arts, and progressive churches have created a vacuum for truth, goodness, and beauty in several spheres of life. Creatives and organizations who honor these values lack central and attractive physical spaces to connect and serve which is a challenge to freedom of speech. Statistics indicate up to 75% of people in the US and Europe prefer classical architecture, making the dominance of modernism in urban development a limitation to a healthy democracy.
The decline of churches accelerates this problem. According to The Christian Economic Forum’s reports, 80% of churches are in plateau or decline post-COVID. A major reason for this is that 50% of most church finances go to real estate, while only being utilized 5% of the week. The Forum further confirms that “Culture is being formed in cities, and they are where the ratio of churches per capita is lowest.” Furthermore, “3,700 churches are closing annually, and this is projected to increase by 50% over the next 30 years.”
Our Solution
We specialize in saving beautiful cinemas, theaters, and church buildings–converting them to attractive, classically-driven spaces that meet this massive demand while providing security to investors by leveraging several streams of income and providing diversification backed by tangible assets. We re-imagine the future of culture reviving real estate by employing a team of professionals to buy, renovate, lease-up, and then professionally manage all aspects of the real estate facilities.
Stats from The Christian Economic Forum show the need for density, multiplication and visibility with churches that are “…200 or less in attendance are four times more likely to plant a church than churches of 1,000 or more” and that “churches that meet in public locations have double the weekly attendance after four years compared to churches meeting in less public spaces.” The interest of arts and education that honor truth, goodness and beauty is high with church goers which increases foot traffic to the venue from day one. According to Taylor & Francis Online, urban environments with classical features “…facilitate elements such as creativity, joy, security, visits and tourism…as the study shows… preferable to those of modernist architecture.”
Founding Team
Magnus Gautestad, co-founder (Almuñécar, Spain), is a visionary, blending the arts, entertainment, church life and entrepreneurship to promote a revival of beauty, and along with it goodness and truth, in Western culture. As a serial entrepreneur with 10+ years of experience, founding a music school in Norway (Kristiansand Gitartimer) and a language school online (Norwegian Speaking Lessons), he brings rich experience of leadership, problem solving, and creativity to the table.
When not running Beauty and the Faith as a partner, Mr. Gautestad is the CEO and Principal of Composers for Beauty, a podcaster, and a classical composer.
BA, School of Leadership and Theology, Norway.
Brad Johnson, co-founder (Clarksville, TN), is a 2X best-selling author with 1,400,000+ content views, merging creativity with business and contributing his extensive experience in writing, music, marketing, and online content creation.
Mr. Johnson also brings his strengths in administrative management to the table, ensuring organized stability and clarity of delegation through the developing stages of BATF. With a passion for helping people grow, as evidenced in his other business as a men’s dating coach, he serves a critical role in team building and company culture.
Brad Johnson also has experience leading B2B SaaS marketing campaigns with some of the biggest tech, wholesaling/distribution, logistics, and eCommerce brands in the United States.
Staff
Connor Neville, advisor (TN), is a confessionally-reformed churchman, husband, father, and missional entrepreneur. Mr. Neville is a licensed landscape architect (RLA), and practices his craft through Ekklesia Design, a master planning & land development firm based out of middle Tennessee, USA. While not working as a landscape architect, Mr. Neville produces artful cartography and conducts geospatial analysis through Dominion Maps.
As a consultant for BATF, Mr. Neville contributes by identifying ways to strategically apply the BATF vision into buildable realities within local communities. Services such as entitlement coordination, development planning, construction administration, and site design are some of his specializations. Connor views the Church Square Renewal Center as an integral, cultural engine by which local places can be redeemed with beauty, goodness, and truth. Mr. Neville’s skills and background in design, form, spatial planning, as well as business networking/strategy all coalesce to add value to the BATF team’s pursuit of creating beautiful places for human flourishing and the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom.
Interested in partnering together? Reach out to us today.
Beauty and the Faith 