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Partners for Sacred Places

Texas News

The only national, nonsectarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to the sound

stewardship and active community use of America's older religious properties
----------- Email newsletter, December 5, 2016 ------------

CONGREGATION BECOMES TEXAS' FIRST

RECIPIENT OF NATIONAL FUND FOR
SACRED PLACES

6040 Camp Bowie

Blvd.
Suite 62
Fort Worth, Texas
76116
817-965-5072
Connect with us:

Website
Our Staff:

Partners for Sacred Places and the National Trust for

Historic Preservation are pleased to announce the
launch of an unprecedented $14 million National
Fund for Sacred Places! The Fund is a program
of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with
the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The
National Fund is supported by an Advisory
Committee, bringing together faith leaders,
architects, and philanthropists from across the
country to inform the grant-making process.
The Fund will provide up to $250,000 in capital
grants (in addition to planning grants and tailored
assistance) to at least 50 congregations of a diversity
of faiths over four years.
We are excited that Divine Redeemer (DR)
Presbyterian Church in San Antonio has been
selected as the first fund recipient from Texas. This
congregation, along with its partner House of
Neighborly Service has served for 100 years in one of
San Antonios most difficult barrios. Founded as a
Sunday School class for refugees from the Mexican
Revolution in 1914, it has persevered in ministering
to some of the most vulnerable residents of San
Antonio. Here you can read a condensed Case Study
or the booklet A Century of Service.

Suzanne C. Yowell
Director

Alison Hernandez
Program Manager

Krin Van Tatenhove

Communications
Director

Upcoming Dates
Jan. 23-25,
2017: PSP National
Fund Cohort Training,
First Christian Church,
Fort Worth, Texas
February 27-March
1, 2017: 2017
Preservation Texas
Summit,Waco, Texas

Early participants at Divine

Redeemer/House of Neighborly Service
DR recently participated in our New Dollars/New
Partners training. It was a life-changing experience.
Telling its story, understanding its assets more
deeply, and reaching out for new funding and
partners helped set the stage for this grant. Sharon
Guerrero, one DRs elders, says, "The time we spent
with New Dollars/New Partners was so worthwhile.
They provided a road map for our future."
Another unique aspect of DR is the pedigree of its
mission-style sanctuary. Dedicated in 1951, it was
designed by noted architect Harvey P. Smith, who
had helped renovate both the Governors Mansion
and two San Antonio Missions during the
Depression. Smith was an early preservationist
dedicated to restoring and maintaining the
historical beauty and traditions of San Antonio. His
legacy lives on today.

Exterior of DR today
DR will work to supplement this grant with a
capital campaign of its own. Their excitement level

is high, seen in these words from DRs pastor,

Reverend Rob Mueller:
Divine Redeemer and our partner, House of
Neighborly Service, are ecstatic to have been
selected by the National Trust for the Preservation
of Sacred Places initiative. About 3 years ago we
had an engineering firm look at the condition of our
facility and discovered over $600,000 worth of
necessary repairs and upgrades. That was
incredibly discouraging, because as we looked at
available resources, it felt impossible. This grant
has turned the impossible into possible! Now we
believe we can get our facility into a condition that
makes it a delight to live and work in on a daily
basis.

If you have news, events or resources to share, please send to syowell@sacredplaces.org

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Partners for Sacred Places

6040 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Suite 62
Fort Worth, Texas 76116
US
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