New Jersey church puts late member’s large bequest to work, upgrading for accessibility

The useful part

[Episcopal News Service] Natalie Whiting was an active member of her congregation, Calvary Episcopal Church in Flemington, New Jersey, for most of her 79 years. In loving her church, Whiting wasn't afraid to offer some constructive criticism. The historic building was woefully inadequate to accommodate people with disabilities and older people who had difficulty climbing its stairs.

How it works

• Whiting, in life, pressed for the church to upgrade the facility for accessibility, but church leaders deemed the costs prohibitive.
• She left her entire estate, estimated at more than half a million dollars, to the congregation with a request that it spend the money on accessibility upgrades.
• "She had a passion for making our building accessible to all people," the Rev.
• Kyle Cuperwich, Calvary's rector, told Episcopal News Service in a phone interview.
• "The church had talked about for years doing something about it but never had the resources." Now Calvary is in the middle of the renovation project that Whiting had long requested.

What to take from it

"We had older congregation members who would practically age themselves out of the church because they couldn't get into the building anymore," Cuperwich said. The two sets of stairs into the worship space, which have posed a challenge to some parishioners in the past, will soon be complemented by wheelchair lifts. Some of them have already expressed excitement at the thought of returning to in-person worship services once the lifts are installed.

Details worth keeping

Accessible restrooms are being installed in the parish hall. Related upgrades are underway in the parish hall's kitchen. The project is expected to cost more than $600,000.