COMMUNITY-WIDE CAPITAL FUNDRAISING IN INDIANA
Wabash
Presbyterian
Church:
Expanding
The Role
They Play
by Emily Sajdak
Project Manager,
Partners for Sacred Places
A
lthough the city of Wabash is
tucked away off the main
highways of Indiana, it is a thriving
place, offering a range of cultural
amenities to its residents. Home to the
Ford Meter Box Company and the
Honeywell Center, part of the
Honeywell Foundation, the city
regularly hosts nationally recognized
acts such as the Moscow Ballet,
Riverdance, and Mannheim
Steamroller. Wabash also won the
Small Business Revolution in 2016
and was named a Stellar Community
by the State of Indiana in 2014.
In the center of town is Wabash
Presbyterian Church, located on a hill
above Wabash’s historic commercial
district. The congregation has a long
history of community service, guided
by its mission: “Loving people with the
heart of Christ, in the heart of
Wabash.” While the congregation
itself is approximately 150 members, it
strategically, creatively, and wisely
about how the church should engage
with its community. David Frederick,
Director of the Sacred Places Indiana
program, noted that Wabash
Presbyterian Church’s “willingness to
do things differently” was a significant
part of its success. The congregation is
“very open-minded,” and “they
understand that they have an
expanded role to play in the
community.”
After the training, the church was
ready to move forward with planning a
capital campaign, starting with a
feasibility study that was completed by
Partners in January, 2019. “[We chose
Partners because] there was no
comparison with their level of
expertise,” says the church’s pastor,
The Rev. Jonathan Cornell. “Many
organizations raise funds, but not
many understand the unique needs of
historic sacred places. We wanted [our
consultant] to fit who we are. New
Dollars New Partners dispelled some
myths and calmed anxieties around
capital fundraising and raising
external community support.”
Over the past months, Wabash
Presbyterian Church began the initial
stages of a capital campaign to address
the church roof, accessibility concerns,
and other projects. “We are in a place
where we know we can do this,” said
Cathy Wright, a member of the church
team that participated in the Sacred
Places Indiana program. “We have a
good sense of what it means to move
forward. We feel confident that we’re
in the best place that we can be.”
Wabash Presbyterian Church,
Wabash, Indiana
Photot: David Frederick
serves almost 700 people through its
programming and space sharing, with
an economic impact of over $110,000
each year.
Wabash Presbyterian Church
participated in the 2016-2017 cohort
of the Sacred Places Indiana program
of Indiana Landmarks, which utilizes
Partners’ New Dollars New Partners
training program. The congregation’s
involvement in the training gave it
new tools and resources to think
Participating in the Sacred Places
Indiana training and working with
Partners on the feasibility study and
capital campaign gave Wabash
Presbyterian Church the opportunity
to articulate its value and importance
to their community, as well as fully
understand the ins and outs of a
capital campaign. For other
congregations considering future
capital projects and fundraising efforts,
Rev. Cornell has this advice: “Don’t
rush. Take these steps of information
gathering and planning, and be
deliberate. Trust the process.”
SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2019
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