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Inside the sanctuary: arched wooden roof trusses, worn walls and a blue tarp

The plan to restore our building.

The new roof is done. Next up: new restrooms, a recreation room and offices. Then heating and cooling, the sanctuary and the baptistry.

Donate NowMount Vernon Baptist Church is a tax-exempt church, EIN 83-0384567. Gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law. See our progress

Complete

Step one is done: a new roof.

The roof repair and replacement is complete and fully funded. It protects the structural integrity of the whole building, because nothing else lasts without it.

Thank you to every neighbor who gave. With the building covered from the top down, the work inside can begin. See what comes next.

The stone church and its bell tower at the corner of Rittenhouse and Morton Streets in autumn
Covered and protected: the roof project is complete.

Next up: $100,000 goal

Next, restrooms, a recreation room and offices.

Modern restrooms that welcome guests of every age and ability, a recreation room for community programs, and working offices for the church and MHHCDC.

Careful remodeling will keep the building's historic character while making these rooms work for the gatherings and services they host today. See what a smaller gift can do.

An interior room stripped to the studs, with fallen ceiling material and old fixtures
Inside the building today.

See the work ahead.

These are photos of the building as it is now. Tap any photo to see it up close.

  • Offices short on space and storage.
  • Walls opened down to the brick.
  • Water damage on the lower level.
  • An aging heating system.
  • Peeling plaster around the altar.
  • Fallen plaster in the pulpit area.

Then, three more projects.

Each project has its own goal and thermometer. Track every project on The Goal page.

  • Heating and HVAC$100,000 goal

    Replace the aging oil heating system with modern heating and cooling, so the building is comfortable in every season.

  • The sanctuary$150,000 goal

    Repair the peeling plaster and water damage, then restore the walls, floors and lighting of our 1894 worship space.

  • The baptistry$50,000 goal

    Restore the baptism area behind the pulpit, with its door and angled mirror so the whole congregation can watch.

Three spaces under one roof.

One building with multiple purposes. Your gift reaches every one of them.

  • The sanctuary

    The worship space at the center of Mount Vernon Baptist Church Philly.

  • The community center

    Room for the community events and fundraisers that bring neighbors together.

  • The resource center

    Support for our community, right inside the building.