Sacred Places in Central Appalachia Program Application

Please read the following carefully before completing and submitting your application to Partners for Sacred Places.

Due Date and Submission: ALL APPLICATIONS ARE DUE ON OCTOBER 9, 2023 by 5:00PM EST

Assistance:  For questions about completing the application please contact Ted Olson, Project Coordinator, email: tolson@sacredplaces.org; phone: 423-213-2006.

Required Training: Congregations or organizations accepted into the program will be required to attend in-person training, New Dollars/New Partners for Your Historic Sacred Place, which will be held on November 10-11, 2023. Once congregations or organizations have been accepted into the program, Partners will provide confirmed location for the training, along with additional details. Each sacred place accepted into the program will need to send a team to attend the training on their behalf. The team will need to include a clergy leader and 2 lay leaders. Each team will receive one $500 travel stipend to help defray any expenses for attending the training. The location of the training is TBD, but will be held at one of the participating churches or another church in the region within driving distance. Information about travel, accommodations, and other details related to attending the training will be provided upon acceptance into the program.

Eligibility: Congregations or organizations are invited to apply because they are stewards of significant historic sacred places (e.g. churches, temples, meetinghouses, etc.) that reflect Appalachian heritage reflected in folk arts and crafts and other historic elements of their buildings and property. While applicants will typically be active congregations, nonprofit organizations (e.g. "Friends' Groups," etc.) that own a historic sacred places may also apply.  All applicants must be located within one of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) designated counties in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. 

Participants will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • A proposed capital project that will preserve, restore, or repair a significant example of arts and crafts and/or repair, preserve, or restore elements (including roofing, windows, etc.) of their historic church building.
  • Demonstrated ability and record of engaging the wider community
  • Capacity to raise funds to match any grant awards towards your project

About folk art: Folk art is a traditional hand-made practice that represents shared culture and heritage of a community and region. Examples of folk arts in Appalachia that are often found in sacred places include carving and sculpture in wood, painting (including decorative painting), textiles (including weaving and quilting) and stained glass, among others. Some buildings in Appalachia are also examples of important  traditional  and hand-made building crafts such as  stone masonry, etc. About historic buildings: Historic buildings are those that are at least 50 years or older and retain the features and elements that preserve their character. Because of their significance and integrity, some buildings may be listed on the local, state, or National Register of Historic Places, which is a special way of recognizing their importance to the community as historic sites.

Photographs: You must submit a minimum of five (5) photos that show the exterior of your building, a clear view of the main interior space, and photos of any decorative/folk arts details, as well as photos of any building needs/conditions you've identified and described below. All photos you submit must be in color and taken recently.

Please submit photos to Ted Olson at tolson@sacredplaces.org and include the following in the SUBJECT LINE of your email: "Name of Church, Town, State - Application Photos" [for example: "Memorial Baptist, Asheville, NC - Application Photos."]

In the body of your email, please identify each photo you've attached, for example:

  • Photo 1: Exterior
  • Photo 2: Interior
  • Photo 3: Detail of Altar carving
  • Photo 4: Photo of Altar railing carving
  • Photo 5: Photo of exterior brick needing repointing

Please keep individual photos smaller than 2 MB in size. If necessary, you may send more than one email in order to submit photos. In that case, please use the same subject line (as indicated above) in each.

By submitting these photos you grant Partners for Sacred Places permission to use them for non-commercial purposes, including but not limited to educational, artistic and scholarly research, and related publications.

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Email *
Congregation or Organization Information
This section gathers information about the vitality and capacity of the congregation or organization. 
Name of Church *
If the church is not owned by an active congregation, please indicate that here and list the name of the nonprofit organization that owns the property. 
Address (street, town, state, zip code) *
Is the above a mailing address? If not please include the mailing address below. 
Name of person completing this application *
Title or Role (e.g. Pastor, Elder, Treasurer, Board Member, etc.) *
Email address of person completing this form: *
Phone number of person completing this form:  *
Has the governing body (e.g. council, vestry, board, etc.) of the church or organization approved submission of this application?  *
If accepted into the program, does your congregation or organization commit to send a team to attend the training on November 10-11?  *
For congregations: What is the average Sunday attendance? 
For congregations and organizations: what is your total membership?  *
For congregations: Please list how many full and/or part time clergy you have.  *
For congregations and organizations: Please list how many full and/or part time staff you have.  *
Care of buildings and property: Do you have a buildings and property committee? Do you have staff or volunteers with roles dedicated to the upkeep and maintenance of your property? Please describe below.  *
For congregations or organizations without paid staff: How many active volunteers do you have in leadership roles? 
Do you have active volunteers who can focus on the training, engaging your community, and fundraising? Please explain.  *
Please list top three ministries or programs. Please briefly describe each and who it serves.  *

Does the congregation or organization host or lead any programs or events that reflect Appalachian heritage, history, or folk traditions? The following list (below) offers many commonly found examples, but is not intended to cover the entire range of cultural traditions and folk practices in Central Appalachia. Partners also recognizes the wide diversity of religious traditions and belief in the region, so that some of the categories or examples below may not apply to your sacred place. Please select any of the categories below that do apply, or use the space further below to describe those that may not be listed here. 

 *
Required
Please describe any of programs or events you selected above that reflect Appalachian heritage and culture.  *
Do any other outside organizations or programs use your building? Please describe.  *
How do you plan to use your building as an asset for your community?  *
Will this program support the growth of your ministry, outreach, or programming? Please describe.  *
History and Capital Needs
"Suffer the Little Children" Ben Long (1945--) Sloop Chapel at Crossnore School, Crossnore, NC

Provide a brief history of your building (and congregation, if applicable).  Who built your building? What is special about its construction or any art or decoration it includes?  Please also indicate when your building was constructed. Are there any additions or major renovations? Please notes these with the dates they occurred (if known.) 

 *
Is your building listed on the state or National Register of Historic Places?  *
Arts and Crafts Features

Please select any important features of your building (e.g. stained glass, carving, baptistry or altar paintings, other stencils or decoration, or etc.) and property  that reflect the Appalachia heritage of your sacred place.

Woodwork and Carpentry
Iron or metal work
Clear selection
Painting and Decoration
Clear selection
Other features
Please describe any of the features from the above lists that you've selected. Include when it was made, any known details about how it was made, along with the artists or craftspeople who made it.  *
What are the current conditions of your building and any of the features you've described above?  *

Please describe the specific repair, restoration, or preservation project you would pursue (from the lists above). Please note that the program is focused on supporting the preservation and repair of historic buildings. 

 *

Do you have assessments and cost estimates for the above? Please describe and submit via email to: tolson@sacredplaces.org. Please also identify who provided the estimates and experience/professional knowledge. Did they provide these assessment or cost estimates based on in-person site-visits? 

 *
What is a realistic timeline for this project? Can you complete it by summer of 2025? Please describe.  *
A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
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