D077 Celebrating and Continuing the Work and Witness of the Church of the Advocate, Site of the Ordination of the Philadelphia Eleven
The Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia, is a pivotal space in the history of the Episcopal Church for Racial Liberation , LGBTQ Justice, and Women’s Equality. It is the site of the ordinations of the Philadelphia Eleven, the home parish of the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, a center for early BIPOC and LGBTQ community organizing in Philadelphia and our country.
In this year that we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Eleven, the building where that historic event took place is closed. The plaster and wood that should have been stone is literally falling. The interior of the worship space is inaccessible; the original art and the murals of black liberation theology are at risk of being lost forever.
Part of the reason for the damage can be attributed to construction flaws due to cost cutting by the original builder and financier; the structural and deferred maintenance repair has been estimated in the millions.
This space’s witness to the Gospel and the work of the Episcopal Church in valuing the dignity of every human being should not be lost. That is its history, to be sure, but it needs to be its future as well in a community of limited resources and high need. The Church of the Advocate is also a place of pilgrimage, a spiritual center for its community and for our Church.
Partners for Sacred Spaces has made available $200,000. That can be secured for through an initial match of $25,000. Though it is only the beginning of the funds needed, it would enable the currently closed building to be reopened and some critical safety repairs to be made.
Explanation
The Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia, is a pivotal space in the history of the Episcopal Church for Racial Liberation , LGBTQ Justice, and Women’s Equality. It is the site of the ordinations of the Philadelphia Eleven, the home parish of the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, a center for early BIPOC and LGBTQ community organizing in Philadelphia and our country.
In this year that we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Eleven, the building where that historic event took place is closed. The plaster and wood that should have been stone is literally falling. The interior of the worship space is inaccessible; the original art and the murals of black liberation theology are at risk of being lost forever.
Part of the reason for the damage can be attributed to construction flaws due to cost cutting by the original builder and financier; the structural and deferred maintenance repair has been estimated in the millions.
This space’s witness to the Gospel and the work of the Episcopal Church in valuing the dignity of every human being should not be lost. That is its history, to be sure, but it needs to be its future as well in a community of limited resources and high need. The Church of the Advocate is also a place of pilgrimage, a spiritual center for its community and for our Church.
Partners for Sacred Spaces has made available $200,000. That can be secured for through an initial match of $25,000. Though it is only the beginning of the funds needed, it would enable the currently closed building to be reopened and some critical safety repairs to be made.