September 21, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Seminary gets grant
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

State Sen. LeAnna Washington presented a $500,000 check to Rev. Philip Krey, president of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. (Photo by Kristin Pazulski)

The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia has received a $500,000 state grant for its $20 million Brossman Center that was completed in 2005.

A ceremonial check for the amount was presented by State Sen. LeAnna Washington to the Rev. Philip Krey, president of the Mt. Airy institution, at a Sept. 13 ceremony attended by seminary officials and community representatives.

The center, which combines a conference center with a museum and archives, serves students and teachers at the seminary and is available to community organizations and the public.

Krey said the center’s archives and colonial exhibition museum on the third floor focuses on “heritage tourism.” He said anyone interested in studying the cultural or religious roots of America could use the Brossman Center’s resources.

“We have artifacts from the origins of Lutheranism and Episcopalism,” Krey said, “as well as from the Swedish colony around this area.”

Several Mt. Airy community organizations use the center’s conference room for meetings and ceremonies. East Mt. Airy Neighbors, which has its offices on the seminary campus as well, hosted its 40th anniversary celebration there this past weekend.

Washington said she had been looking forward to giving this grant because of the seminary’s “real relationship with the community.”

“The money is not just for the people of the seminary, but also for the state-of-the-art conference center now in the Northwest that many people appreciate,” Washington said.

The architecture of the 60,977-square-foot center is contemporary, but designed to blend with the campus’ 118-year-old building it is attached to.

Although Washington’s office obtained the funds this month, the state grant was approved in 2004, Krey noted.

The seminary has raised $14 million of the $20 million cost, having covered the previous construction with loans. John Kahler, a spokesperson for the seminary, said fundraising efforts were ongoing.

Once funds raised approach the $20 million mark, which Kahler estimated could take two to three years, the institution hopes to expand the museum and renovate the Krauth Memorial Library. That phase will conjoin the Brossman Center with the 100-year-old building that houses the library.

Last week, Sen. Washington also presented state grant money to two Germantown organizations. Childspace Cooperative Development, Inc., in Germantown received $100,000 to assist in its efforts to “improve the quality of jobs for traditionally low-paid workers and improve the quality of care for children,” according to the news release from Washington’s office.

Another $500,000 state grant was given to Germantown Settlement toward its purchase of a 55,000-square-foot building at 5820 Germantown Ave. The building is owned by the YWCA of Germantown that closed in 2004.

Contact staff writer Kristin Pazulski at 215-248-8819 or Kristin@chestnuthilllocal.com.