UPDATE on Partners:
Arts in Sacred Places Success Story
As one of the oldest churches in Philadelphia, First Baptist
Church has had many homes in its 314-year history. But
when Reverend Peter Wool returned to lead First Baptist
in 2009 (he had originally served as pastor 1983-1994),
he was met with a congregation whose current home was
in jeopardy. “The building was eating up our endowment,”
he explained, noting that the heating costs for the massive,
112-year-old structure were astronomical. “Everything was
on the table. ’Can the church even stay in this location?’ was
a real question.” With a small congregation that drew about
65 people every Sunday, Reverend Wool knew he needed to
be creative in finding a sustainable path forward for First
Baptist.
At the same time, Kevin Glaccum of Azuka Theatre already
knew what it meant for an institution to operate without
a stable home. From 1999-2009, Azuka was a small,
Philadelphia-based company that produced 21 shows in 11
different locations. “We were a nomadic company,” said
Glaccum, the Artistic Director, who scheduled shows in a
variety of venues ranging from community centers, to college
auditoriums, and everything in between. For those ten years,
countless hours of work in planning Azuka’s season went to
managing the various locations. Time that could have been
devoted to production, marketing, or advertising was instead
spent on simply finding a place to perform.
In the spring of 2