The Diocese of Pennsylvania has announced a plan to move its primary office 20 miles northwest to St. John’s Church in Norristown. The diocese will also maintain a satellite office at St. Stephen’s Church, located two and a half miles east of the current office at 3717 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia.
The announcement said:
This decision to move was not an easy one. Despite the generous offer of the Cathedral Close Inc., the affiliate of the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral which rents us our current space, we were not able to take on even the slightest increase. By making this decision, the Cathedral will have the freedom to increase rent to sustain their ministries. This move will help the diocese save a significant amount of money, provide more life and stability for St John’s and extend our ability to focus on ministry.
… The church campus offers the entire diocese a location that has ample space for collaborative meetings and is easily accessible by public transportation and car. There is also plenty of free parking near the church for visitors. The Bishop’s staff spends more than 50 percent of their time at churches, making this location centric to their time in the diocese. (The Bishop and staff will continue to hold weekly office hours around the diocese as they have done for the past two years.)
Norristown is a very diverse community that is growing, and this move puts the Offices of the Diocese in a location where active ministry is needed and where we can contribute to the growth of the community.
Matthew Townsend is the former news editor of The Living Church and former editor of the Anglican Journal. He lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
