[Diocese of Michigan] Two historic Episcopal churches in Detroit, Michigan, will be converted into “climate resilience hubs” using modern technology. The program is part of a $20 million federal grant initiative designed to help communities tackle environmental and climate justice challenges.
Christ Church and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church are among 15 faith-based and food assistance organizations in Detroit selected to participate in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Community Change Grants program.
The climate resilience hub designation means the churches will receive energy efficiency improvements, electrification upgrades, solar panels and battery storage, green stormwater infrastructure and electric vehicle chargers to create a ride share program.
The upgrades and improvements will allow them to keep operating and serving the community during extreme weather events and power outages. Examples include being a place where community members can charge phones and operate medical devices if their homes are without power or providing residents access to food and shelter regardless of weather.
“These upgrades not only build resilience but also reduce costs, improve environmental health, and strengthen the community’s ability to thrive during challenging times,” according to a note from EcoWorks, a Detroit nonprofit that was the lead applicant for the grant, in collaboration with two other organizations, Michigan Interfaith Power & Light and Solar Faithful.
EcoWorks announced it had received the federal grant at an event in mid-December at St. Peter’s. Built in 1858, St. Peter’s is in Corktown, the city’s oldest known existing neighborhood, according to the Detroit Historical Society. The area takes its name from the influx of Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine of the 1840s, many of whom came from County Cork.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this ground-breaking initiative that will ensure St. Peter’s remains an important gathering place and resource for our members and Detroit neighbors,” said the Rev. Susan Harlow, the church’s interim pastor who’s affiliated with the United Church of Christ. She added that project design work is expected to get underway in January.
Christ Church was founded in 1845 and occupies the oldest, continuously used Protestant religious site in Detroit. The church is near the heart of the city’s downtown, just blocks away from the Detroit River that separates the United States and Canada. In addition to serving local Detroiters, the church is a destination congregation for people from surrounding areas and across the international border.
“Christ Church is extraordinarily honored and grateful to have been selected for this transformative program,” said the Rev. Emily Williams Guffey, Christ Church’s rector. “We can’t wait to see the benefits that these critical upgrades will bring to our downtown riverfront community.”
An initial walkthrough for the upgrades is expected to occur in January.
Michigan Bishop Bonnie A. Perry said, “St. Peter’s and Christ Church Detroit are embodying our goal that every congregation in the Diocese of Michigan be known as a hub in and for their surrounding community.”