Can I do construction work in a former Church building? It has recently been transformed into an art gallery.

The place first needs to be fixed that it will no longer appear that it was a church, and only then one can work there.

Only after removing all forms of crosses and Christian images from the building, may one enter and work in the building. It is also advisable to do some reconstruction on some of the interior and exterior of the building to give it a ‘new face’ which also changes its previous status.

Until then one can enter the building only for the purpose of planning the physical fixes and alterations to the building.

However, there are Poskim who permit one to enter a church building to do work, if there are two employees and they are wearing special work clothing and tools which indicate to all onlookers why they are entering. In this case, that the house is no longer used for Avoda Zara, there is room for leniency. Similarly, one may have non-Jewish workers do the work. Ideally, one should ask a non-Jew to ask the non-Jews to do the work.

 

Sources:

Issur to enter house of Avoda Zara – Ritva Avodah Zarah 11b, Shulchan Aruch 150:1, Shach Y.D. 149:1.

Regarding entering a church – Birchei Yosef 149:2, Darchei Teshuva 150:2, Minchas Elazar 1:53-3, Binyan Tziyon 1:63, Shearim Metzuyanim B’Halacha 167:9, Igros Moshe 3:129, Yechaveh Da’as 4:45, Rivevos Ephraim 3:496-497.

As to the Ruach Hatumah affecting the person – See Chaim Be’Yad 26.

See Maharash Engel 83 that it’s Assur to enter a church to install windows. See also Tzitz Eliezer 14:91. Yabia Omer YD 2:11 and YD 7:12. Yechaveh Daas ibid. (If it’s still used for Avodah Zara, there is an issue of building their house – see Teshuras Shai 128, Yabia Omer Y.D. 2:11 miluim, Vayaan Dovid Y.D. 3:52, see Taz 139:2. )

Workers clothing – Shearim Metzuyanim 167:6.
Asking non-Jews – Amira d’amirah.