PRESENT CONDITION
For well over a century, St. James’s Episcopal Church has been a significant Landmark — both in the Porter Square community and in the lives of its parishioners. Previous generations constructed a marvelous sanctuary for the glory of God. Within its walls, the word of God was preached, voices were raised in prayer and song, and the movement of the Spirit was witnessed in baptisms, marriages, funerals, and countless prayer services and celebrations.
The parish house, though certainly less grand, provided a space where thousands of children learned and grew in their faith in Sunday School, the hungry were fed, the homeless housed, choirs rehearsed, leaders met to discern and plan their lives together, and a host of ministries were performed. These buildings have served the parish well, and the parish is truly grateful to those who sacrificed in their construction and preservation.
Yet, for many years, the cost of maintaining the historic sanctuary, not to mention the parish house which was both inaccessible and deteriorating in the face of age and intensive use, has been a consuming concern of the parish. Maintenance requirements for both structures threatened to drain leadership energy and prospects for many mission-related activities. In the face of this daunting reality, an amazing opportunity arose to develop this unique land asset. This will result in a new, all-accessible parish house surrounding the beloved garden, with a new community of condominiums on three upper floors. Further, it will provide funds for an ongoing endowment to support the sanctuary.