Featured Sacred Place
Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church
Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian
Church ( LAPC ) aptly describes its history as “ one of intrepid witness on behalf of the great social questions of past generations as well as our own .”
Completed in 1862 , the church was a departure from the more typical Gothic architecture of the period , which is characterized by a long seating area that directs worshiper ’ s attention upward and toward an altar . Instead , LAPC ’ s interior is a huge oval space ringed by a gallery , with pews oriented toward the pulpit . The sanctuary is decorated with 16 large windows by the firm of Louis Comfort Tiffany , and a 300-foot mural called “ Cloud of Witnesses ,” reflecting the diversity of the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn in the late 1970s , wraps around the sanctuary .
During the congregation ’ s early years , its leadership advocated for social justice by supporting calls for abolition , inviting women to speak to the congregation at a time when the Presbyterian church forbade women to preach , advocating for workers ’ rights , and supporting missions in East Asia and low-income communities in the United States . More recently , the congregation has fought for LGBTQ + inclusion , immigrant rights , Black lives , and criminal justice reform .
Partners conducted a series of interviews in the summer of 2021 to calculate LAPC ’ s local economic contribution , and learned that the congregation makes a $ 2.5 million annual impact in its community .
Youth from LAPC point at the church tower during a walk-a-thon to raise funds for the church ’ s restoration . Photo from the congregation
Components of this contribution include educational programs for children and youth , affordable space for nonprofits to carry out their activities , intervening in individual lives in a positive way , and a wide variety of events and community programs .
Like many congregations around the country , LAPC has struggled to support active ministries while still maintaining its building , and water infiltration has led to a number of structural issues over the years . Partners worked with the congregation to conduct a community-wide capital campaign to support needed repairs to the building and make it more accessible . Repairs include stabilizing and weatherproofing the foundation walls ; masonry work to reset the front stone steps and add a ramp ; and restoration of the three front doors . A grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places will also support this work .
With a solid plan and a wide network of community connections , the congregation is well positioned to restore its building , so it can continue to serve as a center of community in Fort Greene and a source for change in the wider world .
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