A Message from our Leadership
Robin Whitehurst, FAIA Board Chair
Bob Jaeger, President
2023 was a momentous year for Partners. We celebrated our 35th anniversary at a time when our capacity to serve is greater than ever, helping us keep up with the growing need for assistance among congregations and communities. We continued to serve sacred places throughout the year, while also working to plan and carry out special events such as Activating Hidden Assets (our National Convening) and the Philadelphia Organ Festival, which have set the stage for years of work to come. All of this would not have been possible without your steadfast support.
As increasingly reported in the national news, houses of worship are closing or stressed in unprecedented numbers. Partners is uniquely positioned to meet the call of this moment, to help congregations discern how to continue their missions and care for their buildings as membership dwindles and coffers are low. In 2023 Partners led a cohort of congregations in the Pacific Northwest through the transitioning process, where they learned not just what their options were and how best to proceed, but also to rely upon one another for support through challenging times.
In addition to transitions work, Partners strengthened and expanded its programs this year. We completed the successful first cohort of the Central Appalachia Program and look forward to an increased focus on folk arts as the program moves into its second phase. Partners also launched two new programs: the Philadelphia Fund for Black Sacred Places and Chicago’s South Side Arts in Sacred Spaces, both of which recruited their first cohorts.
Our largest program, the National Fund for Sacred Places, experienced enormous demand, receiving almost 400 applications this year. Sixteen faith communities from around the United States were welcomed into the newest cohort, including the program’s first mosque. Read more about the successful National Fund project at the Church of the Covenant, a Boston congregation that restored its priceless Tiffany stained glass windows, on pages 4 and 5.
Thank you for your generosity, which enables us to expand our impact. Historic sacred places, and the communities that depend on them, directly benefit from your support. We could not do this work without you.
Robin Whitehurst
FAIA Board Chair
Bob Jaeger
President
