CASE STUDY
Direct Spending:
Trinity Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Church, which was
named for the Trinity River, has served the city
of Fort Worth since 1893. Home to twelve
hundred members, the church and adjoining
school anchor a sprawling, tree-lined lot just
steps from Texas Christian University’s
campus.
Direct Spending
(32% of the total)
Sacred places invigorate local economies by buying goods and services
locally and employing local residents. On average, each congregation
contributed well over $500,000 to its neighborhood via annual spending.
Some small businesses credited congregations with providing enough
patronage for them to sustain themselves, and staff salaries often
supported families nearby. The average economic value of a congregation’s
direct spending was $549,073 (with a low of $20,000 and a high of
$6,886,462). Congregations with two or more clergy had higher economic
value from direct spending on average ($1,335,710) than congregations
with one clergy ($308,233); congregations without a full-time clergy had
the lowest economic value from direct spending ($130,380).
The grounds of Trinity Episcopal Church, which the
congregation has occupied since 1948 (after moving from
its original building, which was sold to a Boys & Girls
Club). Courtesy of Trinity Episcopal Church.
Trinity’s property is alive with activity
throughout the week, not just on Sunday. In
addition to owning and operating a school, it
hosts worship services most days of the week
as well as meetings of local neighborhoods
groups and Alcoholics Anonymous. It also
partners with Texas Christian University, which
requires additional parking on game days.
Though not immediately obvious, this
church and campus represent a tremendous
economic force in Fort Worth. Between its
annual operating budget and school budget
alone, Trinity Episcopal Church contributes at
least $800,000 to the local economy annually.
This includes the salaries of the two-dozen
individuals it employs; however, it does not
include the non-routine investments made to
the building, which has amounted to roughly
$100,000 over the past five years.
Children crafting at Trinity Episcopal Church. Courtesy of Trinity Episcopal Church.
8