The Church of the Covenant congregation worships and carries out its mission in a 150-year-old building located on Newbury Street in Boston , where it serves the community in many ways — hosting a day shelter for unhoused women , facilitating a young artists collective , and running a food pantry . The church building also anchors its Back Bay neighborhood with its Gothic Revival beauty , including 42 magnificent Tiffany stained glass windows . It contains one of the most extensive intact ecclesiastical interiors designed by Tiffany and Company in the world .
But the grand , historic building also came with challenges . Beginning in the late 1980s , it became apparent that the church building was at a level of disrepair that threatened the congregation ’ s ability to continue its mission work . The congregation rallied at that time and took on a capital campaign to bring its building accessibility and fire codes into the 20th century and renovate its parish house to allow for space sharing . All rental income from nonprofit partners now funds daily maintenance costs , while pledges from the congregation go toward mission , programs , and operating expenses .
With this new funding system in place , the congregation was able to maintain its building on a daily basis , but for major restoration still relied largely on external funding sources . In 2020 the Church of the Covenant received a matching grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places to assist with more extensive restoration and finally
Workers on scaffolding install one of the cleaned and repaired clerestory windows at Church of the Covenant in Boston , MA . Photo : Roberto Rosa , Serpentino Stained Glass Studios .
address the challenge of its aging Tiffany windows .
Receiving the National Fund matching grant gave the Church of the Covenant congregants confidence to launch a new capital campaign decades after their first one . The campaign committee learned new ways to interact with donors during the COVID-19 pandemic — from hosting trainings on Zoom to creating and posting their own videos . Because they had not done a capital campaign since the 1980s , learning these new tools was key to their success in raising matching funds . Through their campaign they received several foundation grants , a generous anonymous donation , and steady support from the congregation and community .
The congregation had known for some time that the Tiffany windows were in bad shape , but had to address more pressing needs first . With the funding in place , the congregation was able to proceed . Once the scaffolding was installed , it became apparent just how dire the window conditions were . The stained glass pieces of the windows had to be taped together as the windows were removed to prevent them from falling out . The restoration of 20 windows , which serve as a beacon to the neighborhood , took close to two years to complete .
The campaign to restore the Tiffany windows reinvigorated the congregation . Congregants ’ success in overcoming the challenge to raise funds reaffirmed their commitments to the challenges they face in the social realm of the city . The Tiffany windows represent the light the congregation wants to shine for its members , community , and causes it actively supports . The Church of the Covenant congregation brings many to its sacred space — from the 23 groups that share the space to the co-op art gallery in their parish house — and thanks to its fundraising and restoration efforts , that outreach will continue for many years to come .
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