Two Long Island Churches - Choose Merger to Sustain Ministry
In 2026, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Long Island, New York, voted to merge with nearby St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church.
After years of discussions about its future, St. Stephen’s faced growing financial pressures and the rising cost of maintaining its aging buildings.
Rather than continue investing substantial resources in property maintenance, the congregation chose to merge with St. Gabriel’s, bringing together their people and resources to support a shared ministry.
Case Study prepared by Virginia Episcopal Real Estate Partners (VEREP), based on reporting from the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island and Episcopal News Service.
Background
Founded in 1902, St. Stephen’s is a historically Black Episcopal congregation that has served its community for more than a century.
According to the Rev. Canon Frederick Walker, priest-in-charge of St. Stephen’s, the congregation had been discussing its future for decades. Increasing maintenance expenses and financial challenges made it difficult to sustain the parish while caring for its aging property.
Discernment
Following months of prayer, conversation, and consultation with parishioners, St. Stephen’s vestry voted in March 2026 to merge with St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church.
The decision meant leaving a church building that had been home to generations of parishioners. It also offered an opportunity to direct more resources toward worship, outreach, and ministry rather than building maintenance.
Preserving St. Stephen’s history was an important part of the transition. The congregations are working to preserve stained-glass windows and other significant furnishings from the former church.
Outcome
St. Stephen’s held its final service at its longtime location on September 6, 2026. The two congregations began worshipping together at St. Gabriel’s on September 13.
The Diocese of Long Island has listed St. Stephen’s former 0.38-acre property for sale at $11.75 million. The site is zoned for commercial development and multifamily housing.
Proceeds from an eventual sale are expected to support the merged parish. A portion will also establish a scholarship honoring St. Stephen’s founders, including formerly enslaved people who helped establish the congregation. The scholarship will be part of the diocese’s Barbara C. Harris Scholars Program for Truth and Reparations.
Considerations for Other Congregations
The merger of St. Stephen’s and St. Gabriel’s offers an example of how congregations can address the financial demands of aging properties without ending their ministry.
For churches facing similar challenges, the decision raises an important question: Would sharing facilities and resources allow the congregation to devote more of its time and financial resources to ministry?
The experience also highlights the importance of honoring a congregation’s history and identity when considering major changes to church property.
Further Reading
Episcopal Diocese of Long Island: St. Stephen’s and St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Churches to Unite in Merger, August 24, 2026
Episcopal News Service: Former Long Island Church to Be Sold for $11.8 Million as Two Nearby Congregations Merge, September 29, 2026
Is your congregation exploring how to reimagine a ministry or adapt to changing needs?
VEREP can help you navigate these conversations and find creative, mission-centered solutions. Contact VEREP to start a conversation.
