2023 and the Future

Without a regular congregation, it fell upon the larger local churches to pay for maintainence and upkeep. This worked adequately until the COVID pandemic.

During the pandemic, the site fell into disrepair as no one could use the site and all of the supporting congregations were themselves struggling to survive. With no one on the property, professional thieves stripped the HVAC systems and the wiring. Unhoused people used the space to escape Winter Storm Uri, which resulted in the site requiring further repairs. Lacking insurance, there was no money available to maintain or protect the property.

Pastor Mays, the current moderator, prayed for a path forward and realized that, just as people can find new callings, sites can as well. He reached out to Chase Wright, the executive director of the Hungry Hill Foundation, a new Black-led nonprofit from East Austin that helps people who are unhoused gain employment. Between them, they developed a plan to restore the main buildings and dedicate the site for the next 25 years to helping resolve the homelessness crisis, which disproportionally impacts the Black community.

Our vision is still in development but we ask you to join us on our journey as we preserve the legacy of Rev Lee Lewis Campbell and his latest successor, Pastor Mays, and the vibrant Black community of Austin by starting a new chapter at this historical site.

Help us fulfill an mission as ancient as Christ but more relevant than ever in our unequal secular society -- the mission of bringing equal opportunity to people of all.