The Episcopal Church occupies some pricey real estate. The “Church Center” of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America (PECUSA is our official name) is located at 815 Second Avenue, NY just behind the United Nations. We own the eleven-story building. Some of the floors are looking for new tenants as the church has shrunk since the building was built in 1963 at the peak of Episcopal Church membership nationwide. This is where the Presiding Bishop’s office is located.

There have been some proposals at General Convention to sell or lease the building and move the headquarters. I have offered for several years to have PECUSA move its headquarters to Muskogee where real estate is much cheaper and people who worked for the “national church” would then actually be excited about doing their jobs instead of living in New York.  So far, no takers.

While the operational focus of the church is in New York, the spiritual and political center of the church is in Washington, D.C. at the National Cathedral. I served there as an adjunct priest for about a year before coming to Muskogee. It is a fantastic place in many respects.

Also, in Washington is the Office of Government Relations which is a kind of ersatz lobbying arm for the Episcopal Church. All churches have these kinds of offices. When I knew the person in charge there, it was the priest who preceded me in Annapolis. He had zero lobbying or legal background, so I was not sure how he got that plum position. Our office in Washington is not there to help congress write good laws, but to remind them of the teachings and values of Jesus. Lord knows those people could use more than a reminder. I am thankful that our church has such a ministry.