Texas Episcopal Church in US Raises Over $25M for Campus Expansion
A large Texas-based Episcopal congregation has announced that it exceeded its goal of $25 million for a capital campaign to fund the building and expansion of its facilities.
Church of the Incarnation of Dallas, the sixth largest Episcopal church in the United States, announced the total amount Sunday morning that resulted from their campaign, dubbed "Lift High The Cross."
Bishop Anthony Burton, Rector of The Church of the Incarnation, told a large crowd gathered just outside of the main sanctuary, "The Holy Spirit has been doing incredible things here and this morning marks an historic milestone. This capital campaign has been in planning for three years."
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"We were forced into it by God because He was bringing so many people here and there were so many extraordinary things happening we had no choice but to respond."
Raising a total of $25,159,556 as of the official cutoff for the campaign, The Incarnation's capital campaign is one of the largest accomplished by any Episcopal congregation in recent years.
Burton added that since the total announced was calculated that Friday, more donations have come in so that the actual total has in fact passed the $25.2 million mark.
In an interview with The Christian Post, a spokesman for The Incarnation explained that the money will go to the construction of new buildings such as a welcome center, education facility, and another worship facility. Other expenditures will include renovations of preexisting buildings and charitable operations.
"In addition to new construction, we are dedicating campaign resources to meet the needs of the poor, both near and afar, which includes a new church for the people of Belize and expanded outreach programming in our neighborhood schools and community," said the spokesman.
Founded in 1879 and part of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, Church of the Incarnation's congregation has increased 35 percent since 2008, with a regular attendance presently around 1,300, but expected to reach the 2,000 milestone within a decade.
When asked by The Christian Post as to why Church of the Incarnation was growing as so much of The Episcopal Church is in decline, the spokesman responded that it was about being many crucial things at once.
"We have found a way to be both Catholic and evangelical, ancient and modern, traditional and relevant without dumbing down or compromising in those values, which at times, may normally seem exclusive," said the spokesman.
"Young people … are looking for something more grounded. They are looking for substance and stability. Finally, we seek to be dynamic, intellectually and spiritually serious, and focused in our mission, and very involved in an interesting neighborhood."
