The Church Fixer

 

Thousands of churches around the country close every year. In Brooklyn, one pastor is trying to help struggling parishes keep their doors open.

Every time someone stepped foot into the building — whether it was to be in a play or to attend an A.A. meeting — she told the person about the efforts to renovate the church. (The latest financial campaign debuted on GoFundMe in May 2024.)

The approach was refreshing, said Mr. Anderson. “I think that nobody had ever asked people from the community to give before,” he said. “It was very insular like, ‘This is our group, and this is what we do,’ as opposed to ‘Let’s try and expand our group.’”

At St. John’s, Pastor Foster now displays blown-up pictures on the wall of how the church looked before it was renovated over the summer. She said it was to remind the congregation of how far it had come and of the work it still wanted to do.

“Our goal is ultimately to raise $233,000,” she said. “God is always calling us to do something.”