The Transformation Committee

Jesus showed us what a different world could look like.

"One filled with the Holy Spirit and life.  Often, we forget that buildings and money are not the essence of church; it is our faith that Christ is with us.  Over the past 6 years, we have worked to journey with you and take the burden off you.  The transformation committee was born to find ways to recast your assets and utilize your church for the present and the future.” - Bishop Gutiérrez

Many of the diocese’s churches are more than 100 years old - and the repairs required to keep the buildings open often take away from needed evangelism. Add to that the fact that this diocese has approximately 2.5  million square feet of underutilized property.

Bishop Gutiérrez’s vision of helping churches to re-envision property for additional revenue streams and reach further into the community gave birth to the Transformation Committee in September 2023.

“This will allow churches to spend more time on spreading the Gospel than deal with the upkeep of their physical buildings.”

Get started now.

This volunteer group, consisting of experts from the diocese's 136 churches, initially focused on the Church of the Crucifixion in South Philadelphia. When it opened in 1847, The Church of the Crucifixion was the second black Episcopal church in Philadelphia, attracting singer Marian Anderson and sociologist W. E. B. DuBois. In 2022, after being shuttered for four years, Gutiérrez reopened the church and installed the Rev. Yesenia Alejandro as its vicar.  “Mother Jessie,” as she is called by all who know her, turned the church into a site for worship and community service with hundreds coming through the church doors every week.

To accommodate a burgeoning food ministry, dance classes and many other ministries, the 175-year old building was in need of an upgrade. Working with the Transformation Committee and Alejandro, the church now has a space that provides food and coffee service, water fountains and newly installed bathrooms as well as a portable sound system.

See inside the space here.

For some of the diocesan churches, the Committee has recommended acquiring a different space that requires less upkeep and pushes the church further into its community  - while still maintaining ownership of the older building for rentals.

Al Daindridge, a member of the Transformation Committee, knows first-hand the experience of having to leave his church building for another one. “The church I grew up in, the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, has moved five times over its 235-year history. I was not present for all those moves, but the last one was especially painful—painful despite being a tremendous opportunity.”

“It is hard to let those things go because you are letting go of memories. However, if we are going to keep the mission alive, why allow the facility to reach a point where it is beyond hope?”

To date, the diocese is working with 15 churches, assisting them in making full and creative use of their property.

If your church is looking to be transformed, contact us to get started.