2024 COHORT
Denver Community Church
(Nondenominational)
Denver, Colorado
Denver Community Church brings new life and purpose to the historic synagogue, Temple Emanuel, once the home to Denver’s oldest Jewish congregation.
Denver Community Church Photo by Jon Gettings
Denver Community Church Photo by Jon Gettings
2024 Cohort
Denver Community Church
(Nondenominational)
Denver, Colorado
Denver Community Church brings new life and purpose to the historic synagogue, Temple Emanuel, once the home to Denver’s oldest Jewish congregation.
Built in 1898 using a design by architect John J. Humphreys, the style of Temple Emanuel incorporates Moorish, Syriac, Turkish and European elements that reflect the European origin of the congregation’s early members. The temple features a raised entrance and two Turkish-style towers with pointed minarets. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a Denver Landmark.
Denver Community Church (DCC) is a nondenominational congregation that was planted in 2000 with the goals of creating community and addressing many of the needs of its urban neighborhood. The congregation bought Temple Emanuel in 2013. DCC collaborates with many organizations to meet the challenges of poverty, lack of affordable housing, and substance abuse that plague Denver. DCC’s Project Renew initiative focuses on addressing housing and homelessness in the city, immigration, and creating inclusive spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition, DCC has worked with the City of Denver to provide temporary housing for the unhoused and migrants.
A National Fund grant of $162,000 with $162,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation will support necessary exterior repairs including masonry, entry doors, and stained glass windows.
Denver Community Church Courtesy Denver Community Church
Spotlighting Women’s History at Historic Houses of Worship
Religious institutions have served both as a platform for the advancement of women’s rights and opportunities, and women have played critical roles in advancing religious traditions. The leadership and community building opportunities within these sacred sites have been critical to increasing female independence outside of the home and allowing women to develop institutions that strengthen their congregations and broader communities. The four historic houses of worship highlighted embody positive examples of how the histories of women and religion are inherently linked.
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Stories and Media Coverage
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Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church by Luis P. Gutierrez