UPDATE on Partners:
Arts in Sacred Places Success Story (continued)
another congregation), has been a source of growing pains.
While Azuka and Inis Nua usually use the basement to build
sets, they refrain from doing so when there is worship in
the sanctuary above so not as to disturb the congregation.
Similarly, accommodations had to be made to allow choir
members to cross through the theater, since there is no
other route from the music director’s office to the sanctuary.
Azuka Theatre, Inis Nua, and First Baptist Church in Philadelphia,
PA, have formed a strong, mutually beneficial relationship thanks
to Partners’ Arts in Sacred Places program.
it wasn’t something we really wanted to do. We felt it would
stunt our growth to simply give up the space.”
Conversely, the arts had always been a large part of First
Baptist’s heritage. The congregation already shared space
with musical groups for rehearsals and performances, which
drew substantial crowds to the church. “We wanted something
that was more congruent with our congregation,” explained
Reverend Wool. Since First Baptist already had a reputation
for music, moving on to theater was an easy transition.
Like other Baptists churches, First Baptist is based on a
Congregationalist polity. This means that an individual
church does not answer to any higher church body,
conference, or diocese, making the congregation itself
the final arbiter of all property transactions. To pitch the
partnership on behalf of both theater groups, Glaccum
attended a Sunday service and spoke about his vision
for bringing the performing arts to First Baptist. The
congregation voted in favor of the space-sharing agreement
and the lease was signed shortly thereafter.
However, not all parts of the process have gone quite as
smoothly. For example, navigating the building’s schedule
on Sunday morning, when four groups can be using the
building simultaneously (the church shares space with
11 • Sacred Places • www.sacredplaces.org • Winter 2013
For reasons such as these, Glaccum emphasized the
importance of being “open-minded and flexible. We’re
both on a learning curve – we’re [Azuka] learning how to
be a tenant and they’re [First Baptist] learning how to be
a landlord.” Similarly, one of the keys to this particular
success story has been the strength of the personal
relationship between Glaccum and Reverend Wool, both of
whom speak very highly of one another. Potential pitfalls of
space-sharing, whether in negotiation, communication, or
any field, were softened by the candor and friendship that
the two sides had established over the process.
Reverend Wool agreed, reiterating that the experience
comes with a learning curve while also addressing the role
of congregational leadership. “You need to be willing to
think outside the box,” he advised. “Be creative with how
you use your space and in terms of mission.” In other words,
preserving religious properties today demands reassessing
how congregations interact with their communities. As
Reverend Wool put it, “to survive in this city, you’re going to
need to have a partner.”
For for any space-sharing agreement to be successful, it
must be mutually beneficial, and First Baptist-Azuka-Inis
Nua is no exception to this rule. “That’s what was great about
it,” exclaimed Glaccum, “we wanted to be here and they
wanted us here.” Reverend Wool echoed this sentiment,
qualifying that while the arts is not the mission of his
church per se, partnering with Azuka has complemented and
enhanced First Baptist’s outreach and ministry. First Baptist
has benefited from new revenues and increased visibility
in the community, while Azuka does not need to spend
valuable time finding venues, freeing the staff to focus on
other aspects of managing a theater company. Ultimately,
the arrangement has allowed both sides to be better stewards
of their homes, at once strengthening their presence in the
building while sharing it as well. d