Arlington Street Church

What Arlington Street Church does

Arlington Street Church is a Unitarian Universalist congregation located at 351 Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, founded in 1806 and historically known as the "Church of the Patriots." It is led by Transitional Senior Minister Rev. Parisa Parsa and operated by a team of approximately 12 staff serving the membership and broader Boston community.

The church delivers Sunday worship at 11:00 AM in person and via Zoom, and archives sermons on YouTube. Its program surface includes pastoral care through a Care Team, music programs, poetry services, yoga and meditation classes, and social-justice initiatives, supported by an internal Culture, Inclusion & Belonging program. Operational technology is standard nonprofit SaaS: BreezeChMS for congregant management, Zoom for virtual services, YouTube for content distribution, and Google Forms for administration. The building, notable for its Tiffany-stained-glass windows, is also rented out for weddings, concerts, and events.

The revenue model is that of a small nonprofit religious institution: the core stream is weekly and annual pledges/donations from congregants, supplemented by planned giving, facility and event rentals, wedding fees, and a Share the Plate charitable giving program that redistributes a portion of weekly collections to external non-profits. The customer base is the local congregation and event-rental clients; distribution is single-site physical plus virtual hybrid, with no disclosed multi-location or franchise structure.

Name

Arlington Street Church

Legal name

Arlington Street Church

Website

https://ascboston.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arlington Street Church is a historic Unitarian Universalist congregation in Boston's Back Bay offering Sunday worship, pastoral care, community programs, and venue rentals, serving congregants and the broader Boston community through in-person and Zoom services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Sunday worship services
• Wedding venue rentals
• Pastoral care services
• Spiritual community programs
• Religious education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Regular Sunday collection through 'Give' section with options for making pledges and one-time donations
2. Share the Plate: Designated charitable giving program where portions of donations support external causes and justice initiatives
3. Building and Venue Rentals: Wedding ceremonies and building rentals generate revenue from individuals and groups using the historic facility
4. Planned Giving: Legacy giving programs for long-term congregant support including bequests and planned estate gifts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arlington Street Church is a Unitarian Universalist congregation delivering weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and via Zoom), supported by a music program, pastoral Care Team, community programming (Kundalini Yoga, Monday Mettā meditation, poetry services, Tea with the Ministers), wedding and event venue rentals in its historic Boylston Street building, and stewardship/giving programs including online donations, pledges, Share the Plate, and planned giving.

Product overview

Arlington Street Church is a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Boston offering a unified portfolio of spiritual and community services centered on worship, fellowship, and social justice. The core offering is Sunday Services (both in-person and online via Zoom), supplemented by religious education, pastoral care, music programs, and community-building activities. Additional services include wedding and event venue rentals, giving/stewardship programs, and membership pathways. The church also maintains a sermon archive on YouTube for on-demand access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Services Weekly worship services for the public, members, and visitors, delivered in-person at the Boston sanctuary and virtually via Zoom, featuring sermons, music, and community gathering.
• Weddings & Building Rentals Rental of the historic Arlington Street Church sanctuary and facilities for wedding ceremonies and external private events, with a dedicated rental inquiry process.
• Sermon Archives On-demand archive of recorded Sunday sermons covering themes of faith, justice, and peace, available via YouTube for congregants and the public.
• Music Program Congregational music program integrated into Sunday worship, featuring church musicians and choir performances for services and special events.
• Care Team Services Pastoral care and support services for church members and visitors, including pastoral counseling and community care during times of need.
• Community Programs Calendar of recurring community activities such as Kundalini Yoga classes, Poetry Services, Monday Mettā meditation sessions, and Tea with the Ministers.
• Membership Program Formal membership pathway for individuals to join Arlington Street Church, enabling deeper community involvement, governance participation, and stewardship.
• Giving Programs Stewardship and donation services including online giving, annual pledges, Share the Plate charitable giving, and planned giving options for members and supporters.
• Culture, Inclusion & Belonging DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) programs and initiatives fostering a welcoming, inclusive environment across the congregation's activities.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Old South Church in Boston: Progressive, inclusive UCC congregation in Back Bay/Copley with historic sanctuary, rich music program, social justice work, and hybrid services - the closest operating peer on mission, geography, and programming mix.
• King's Chapel, Boston: Historic Boston congregation on the Freedom Trail running a progressive Christian tradition with full music program, in-person and online services, and active building/rental use - directly analogous operating model to Arlington Street.
• First Church Boston (Unitarian Universalist): Long-standing Boston UU congregation at 66 Marlborough Street with similar Sunday service cadence, community programming, and progressive identity - direct comp for congregation size, headcount, and member offerings.
• First Parish Cambridge Unitarian Universalist: Direct Greater Boston UU peer serving a similar progressive, justice-oriented congregation with comparable Sunday service cadence, hybrid streaming, and community programming. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and member segments.

Regional players

• Beacon Hill Friends House (Quakers): Boston progressive religious community emphasizing silent/unprogrammed worship with social justice programming - comparable mission and donor base even though the tradition and service cadence differ.

Broad incumbents

• The First Church of Christ, Scientist (The Mother Church): Larger historic Boston-area Christian congregation with comparable real estate footprint, music programs, reading rooms, and public-facing operations. Broader scale and denominational mission, but overlapping operating model.
• Trinity Boston Foundation (Trinity Church Boston): Large historic Back Bay/Copley Episcopal congregation with active justice programming, music series, weddings, tours, and rentals. Larger and endowed incumbent but overlapping programming and revenue mix.
• The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston: Episcopal cathedral in the Boston area offering weekly worship, music programming, pastoral care, weddings, and venue rentals from a historic building - useful incumbent comparable for venue and program operations.

Others

• Peabody Essex Museum (event/private hire): Major Boston-area cultural venue renting space for weddings and private events - relevant comparator for rental pricing, demand patterns, and operational benchmarks rather than religious mission.
• The Liberty Hotel Boston (weddings and events): Comparable Boston wedding and event venue competing for the same rental dollar in the same metro - useful 'venue' peer rather than religious peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfsN5PEzjT3cT4g_-qrLvkA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arlington-street-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arlington Street Church