D077 Celebrating and Continuing the Work and Witness of the Church of the Advocate, Site of the Ordination of the Philadelphia Eleven
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That the 81st General Convention celebrate with joy the fiftieth anniversary of the Ordination of The Philadelphia Eleven, which occurred in July of 1974 in the Church of the Advocate in the City of Philadelphia; and be it further,
Resolved, That the 81st General Convention, lamenting the sins of racial and social bigotry, commend the past and present clergy and lay leadership of the Church of the Advocate for their steadfast commitment to faithful service to the people of North Philadelphia, particularly its ministry of racial justice under the Reverend Paul Washington (1962-1987); and be it further,
Resolved, That the 81st General Convention, recognizing the continued significance of the Church of the Advocate in The Episcopal Church’s efforts to overcome the sins of racial bigotry and gender discrimination, hereby adopt the Church of the Advocate as a Center for Reconciliation and Justice within the Episcopal Church, and be it further,
Resolved, That the 81st General Convention exhort the Bishops, Clergy, and People of The Episcopal Church to support the continued work and witness of the Church of the Advocate through all channels; and be it further,
Resolved, That the 81st General Convention direct The Episcopal Church Office of Development to liaise with the leadership of the Church of the Advocate and the Diocese of Pennsylvania to develop a long term plan towards the restoration of the Advocate’s physical facilities, and be it further,
Resolved, That The Episcopal Church Office of Development make a progress report on the status of the Church of the Advocate building to the 82nd General Convention, and be it further,
Resolved, The General Convention request the Executive Council to allocate $25,000 for the Church of the Advocate to enable it to access up to $200,000 in matching grants from Partners for Sacred Spaces.
Explanation
The Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia, is a pivotal space in the history of the Episcopal Church for Racial Liberation , LGBTQ Justice, and Women’s Equality. It is the site of the ordinations of the Philadelphia Eleven, the home parish of the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, a center for early BIPOC and LGBTQ community organizing in Philadelphia and our country.
In this year that we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Eleven, the building where that historic event took place is closed. The plaster and wood that should have been stone is literally falling. The interior of the worship space is inaccessible; the original art and the murals of black liberation theology are at risk of being lost forever.
Part of the reason for the damage can be attributed to construction flaws due to cost cutting by the original builder and financier; the structural and deferred maintenance repair has been estimated in the millions.
This space’s witness to the Gospel and the work of the Episcopal Church in valuing the dignity of every human being should not be lost. That is its history, to be sure, but it needs to be its future as well in a community of limited resources and high need. The Church of the Advocate is also a place of pilgrimage, a spiritual center for its community and for our Church.
Partners for Sacred Spaces has made available $200,000. That can be secured for through an initial match of $25,000. Though it is only the beginning of the funds needed, it would enable the currently closed building to be reopened and some critical safety repairs to be made.