For over 25 years, Property Support has been promoting the sound stewardship of the buildings and grounds of the congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Offering a program of financial aid and technical assistance, the Diocesan program consists of the Property Support Committee, members of which are appointed by the Bishop of New York, and the Property Support Office, which serves as staff to the Committee. Through its grants and loans, Property Support addresses building needs ranging from repairs to rectories to the reproofing of churches.

As the building needs of parishes have changed over time, so has the program. Moving away from a traditional responsive approach to a more professional, planned approach, Property Support has been forging long-term relationships with congregations seeking to undertake major projects. This has meant that building surveys and professional technical assistance are being increasingly funded by the program to ensure that appropriate and quality repairs are made to congregations’ buildings. On the other hand, this has also meant that congregations increasingly need to demonstrate long-term commitment to the stewardship of their buildings through planning, budgeting and fund raising.

St. Paul’s, Staten Island and St. Andrew’s, Manhattan are just two examples of congregations that have been working with Property Support for a number of years to undo years of deferred maintenance.

For more information concerning the Diocesan Property Support program, visit its Web site at http://propertysupport.dioceseny.org.

 

Property Support Stories from the Diocese:

St. Andrew's, Manhattan
St. Paul's, Staten Island