A campaign by the Parish of St. Mark and St. Paul (SMSP) to raise maintenance funds and establish an endowment to preserve its campus has exceeded its goals. Originally seeking to raise $900,000 to care for the church, parish hall, and old rectory, so far SMSP has raised $1.04 million, and an additional $312,000 in planned gifts.

The process to launch a campaign began in January of 2024 when the vestry (church board) considered the long-term outlook for the parish. So as to take a proactive approach rather than just react to building system failures, the Vestry hired a facilities evaluation company, Building Solutions, to give them a sense of future maintenance needs.

The Building Solutions report, in turn, led the church to explore the possibility of a fund-raising campaign. The last such campaign was completed in 2014, when the parish hall was renovated and Kennerly Hall added.

In conjunction with the consulting firm Horizons Stewardship, there was a nine-month exploration of the feasibility of such a campaign. Parishioners were consulted about their priorities and willingness to contribute.

In the process, SMSP got a clearer sense of how the community regards it. As several put it, SMSP is not just a church but “the beating heart of Sewanee.” Standing at the border of the University and downtown Sewanee, the church, many pointed out, plays an important role in community life.

This includes the Community Action Committee, which provides food and some housing assistance to the surrounding community, and providing space for the Sewanee Children’s Center, which has provided early childhood education in the parish basement for 75 years. There is also Thurmond Memorial Library, which opened in 1902, while the parish hall serves as a meeting place for a wide range of community organizations, including the Red Cross, Folks at Home, the Rotary Club, All Voices Choir, prayer circles, book discussion groups, various spiritual and wellness retreats, and other activities.

The church also invites the community in for its yearly Oktoberfest and Mardi Gras celebrations.

Out of its self-exploration, the campaign committee arrived at the theme “Our Hope in Years to Come,” the name taken from the familiar Issac Watts hymn, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.”

Parishioners stepped up with contributions, three-year pledges, and planned (estate) gifts. Of the $1.04 million raised, at least $372,000 will go towards an endowment and the rest will go to facility needs, as identified by Building Solutions. The endowment, which will be invested to grow over time, will provide support for additional ministries of the parish for years to come.

The first project is a new church roof, whose picturesque cedar shingles, installed in 2004, have proved vulnerable to severe weather and are beginning to fall off and leak. A number of the HVAC systems will be replaced and some drainage issues addressed. There has also been some good news as Building Solutions reported that the old rectory, Brooks Hall, is in relatively good shape and will not need immediate attention. With the new financial footing provided by campaign gifts, the church will be able to be more deliberative in its process, addressing needs before they arise rather than simply reacting to breakdowns when they occur.

“St. Mark and St. Paul exists for Christian ministry,” said parish rector Rob Lamborn. I am deeply gratified by the generosity members and former members have shown to invest in the practicalities that make ministry possible — what I call ‘the infrastructure of love.’ We warmly invite others who would like to contribute in any amount toward this parish thriving long into the future.”

The church may be reached at P.O. Box 267, Sewanee TN 37375, (931) 598-5926, or <stmarkstpaul.org>.