Loading...Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, founded in 1852 and located at Seventh and Pine Streets [Chattanooga] since 1881, plans to purchase a parking lot adjacent to the church property. The acquisition is part of a Master Plan for Facilities and for Mission and Ministry.
Church leaders see this as an investment in changes along Pine Street between Sixth Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Plans for the property at the foot of Seventh Street include new streetscaping, landscaping and signage.
The property is being purchased from St. Barnabas Senior Living Services which is closing its apartment facility located at Pine and Sixth Streets on the other side of St. Paul's Church and selling the buildings to a local investor group headed by real estate developer John Clark.
St. Barnabas's separate nursing and rehabilitation facility located adjacent to Siskin Hospital for Rehabilitation will continue to operate.
Saint Paul's Church was instrumental in founding St. Barnabas ministries in the 1960s. A large portion of the proceeds of the purchase of the parking lot by the church will provide funds to relocate seniors who currently live at Pine Street and to strengthen the ministries of the nursing and rehabilitation facility.
"We see this as an opportunity to grow our ministries and to be an active partner in new developments in our neighborhood," said Senior Churchwarden Jamie Thomas. Junior Churchwarden Ron Wade and the Vestry (governing board) of the Church see this as a rare opportunity to secure more parking and program space for the church as part of its long-term Master Plan.
Incoming Senior Churchwarden Robin Miller said, "Saint Paul's is excited about the continued growth of downtown Chattanooga. In addition to ensuring that church members have continued parking for weekly services, St. Paul's is also purchasing the parking lot so that the larger community may continue to have easy access to its numerous ministries and outreach programs that occur daily."
Rick Govan, a parishioner who sits on the Board of St. Barnabas Senior Living Services, said, "Change oftentimes results in tremendous opportunities. Although it is unfortunate that the St. Barnabas leadership team has found it necessary to transition away from its downtown independent and assisted living services, we will now be much better positioned to focus on excellence in nursing care and rehabilitation services in the new, state-of-the-art facilities on Siskin drive. This, now, provides St. Paul's Church the rare opportunity to finally secure the adjacent property which will be necessary for its future growth in ministries and programs."
In several meetings with Diocesan Bishop George Young as well as meetings of the congregation and of leaders from the last five years, strong support for the purchase was revealed. "This is not an investment," one parishioner said, "this will become part of our home." The purchase of the lot is dependent on financing as well as approval of the diocesan Standing Committee and must include special gifts from interested parishioners and others. Those gifts are beginning to come in. The church hopes to complete the purchase by Easter Season.
The membership and leadership of the church has renewed its commitment to growth in ministries in future. The church is aware of and supportive of other changes to come along Pine Street, and the congregation continues to be supportive of the ministries of St. Barnabas Senior Living Services.
The acquisition is one part of a multi-phase Master Plan to conserve, preserve and improve facilities. Several million dollars will be spent to care for priceless stained glass, maintain and improve the 100 year old bells and the 25 year old organ, and to act as good stewards of God's creation to install more efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems. Additional improvements are being prioritized as the ministries of the congregation grow with a growing city.
Saint Paul's Church is one of the largest congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee and is among the largest Episcopal Churches in this country. Its church building - one of five structures on its campus - is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The church is known for its worship and outstanding music programs, including concerts benefiting the community. Saint Paul's houses a women's and children's shelter, a daily AA group, and it takes part in Interfaith Homeless Ministry, the Community Kitchen, Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Metropolitan Ministries, and more than a dozen other ministry groups in Greater Chattanooga and overseas, including Haiti and Africa. It is an important field education site for the School of Theology of The University of the South in nearby Sewanee, Tennessee.
