here . People treat the grounds as a park : each week there are around 30 people who walk the trails . One man does tai chi here every day . Folks even ride their horses through .
What has been your congregation ’ s involvement in the Fort Myers community ? BP : We have a long history of social justice activities . The local Planned Parenthood chapter was founded in large part by our congregation . We were the first church in Florida to perform same-sex weddings . The day gay marriage became legal we married 11 couples in our church . Although a small congregation , we call ourselves a “ quiet warrior .” But there are only around 120 congregants on the rolls , and we are aging . Many folks only live in Fort Myers half of the year , and only around 60 attend worship regularly . Hurricane Ian was very traumatic for us : people moved away after the damage , and we lost them permanently from the congregation .
How did you learn about Partners ? SG : I worked with Partners when I was in a prior position at a New England congregation . We were exploring how to become more sustainable in a historic building . I had a positive experience with Partners and wanted to work with the organization again .
Why did you initially reach out to Partners ? SG : Our property might be valued as high as $ 10 million to $ 12 million , but we are cash poor . Many congregations cannot continue the way they are going . We must manage our property so that we can be self-sustaining and continue our mission work in the community .
BP : It hit us strongly during COVID that we had to do something . When I started coming to the church 10 year ago , the finance committee was exploring renting space on our campus for a cell tower . We were not generating enough pledge income to support the property . We still earn income from that cell tower , but it is not enough . We are seeking a more mission-centric solution .
What other organizations or congregations have you partnered with ? BP : Through our work with Partners , we have identified our collaborators . Our campus has administrative offices and a kitchen and is ADA-compliant : it is ideal for space-sharing . The sanctuary is replete with technology , including cameras offering 15 different angles and screens in the front and back of the room . The Scouts , a Buddhist group , an environmental organization , a senior exercise group , and democratic organizations use our space . We rent to the Gulf Coast Symphony , which rehearses here and performs in the sanctuary . We have a playground as well , and a preschool across the street that has outgrown its space is moving in .
Partners has led the congregation through strategic visioning : how has that process gone ? BP : It has given our task force the energy to focus on this urgent issue . The experience that Partners brought to the table gave us confidence that we would end up in a good place .
SG : It felt essential to work with outside experts , because discussing the future of your church building and land is a volatile conversation . Partners urged us to begin with every option on the table , from one extreme to the other . As a minister , I cannot say those words . It is too controversial and emotionally charged . Long-time congregants bring a lot of baggage to these conversations . Partners taught us that this is not personal . They have experience with congregations all over the country . This is not about a minister or congregation failing . It is about things outside our control — whether it is COVID , or religious decline , or real estate costs , or the fact that we are in a swamp . We are now focused on how we make good decisions to move forward and sustain ourselves .
What is ahead in the process ? SG : We have an upcoming community conversation with 20 different people , and I am eager to hear what they have to say . We have also developed some of our own ideas through the process . There is an interest in starting a Friends School administered by Unitarian Universalists and Quakers on the campus . We are thinking about expanding the preschool campus . The symphony also has floated the idea of buying the property and developing an arts center here .
BP : It ’ s an exciting time . I entered the process downtrodden , but I am much more uplifted now . We have more choices than we thought .
SG : We are still listening , but there is a lot more hope now . This process has broadened our capacity to envision creative solutions .
28 SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2025