Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church

What Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church does

Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church is an inclusive Presbyterian (USA) congregation founded in 1869 in Baltimore's Bolton Hill neighborhood and operating from a historic sanctuary at 1316 Park Avenue that contains 17 American art glass windows (at least 11 from Tiffany Studios) and a 1931 Skinner pipe organ (Opus 839). The church delivers weekly Sunday worship both in-person and via Zoom, supported by multiple music ensembles (Chancel Choir, Handbell Choir, Soulful Revue, staff singers) and a public Tiffany Events concert and speaker series that leverages the sanctuary's cultural assets. Its broader programming includes faith formation for all ages (Sunday School through adult education), a 60-plus-year-old individualized literacy tutoring program using the Orton-Gillingham method that serves roughly 80 Baltimore City elementary students annually across three partner schools, labyrinth walking open to the public, a 29-stop cell phone audio tour of the sanctuary, and facility rentals of the sanctuary, assembly room, speers room, and kitchen for weddings, memorials, concerts, and community meetings. Brown Memorial is also an active civic and denominational actor: a founding member of BUILD (Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development), it partnered in a December 2023 housing agreement securing $300M from the City and $750M from the State over 15 years, and sustains long-standing international mission relationships with a Catholic parish in El Salvador (since 1986), an Upper Sioux/Pejuhutazizi Presbyterian congregation in Minnesota (since 2013), and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Camajuaní, Cuba (since 2019). The 22-person staff is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Andrew Connors (since 2004) and includes music, ministry, tutoring, development, communications, media, finance, and facilities functions.

Name

Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church

Legal name

Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church

Website

https://browndowntown.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church is a 156-year-old inclusive Presbyterian congregation in Baltimore's Bolton Hill offering Sunday worship, music programming, literacy tutoring, and community justice work from a historic Tiffany-windowed sanctuary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services / Congregational Worship

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Christian worship services
• Religious community programs
• Music ministry programs
• Literacy tutoring services
• Faith formation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Annual Giving/Tithes and Offerings: Primary funding source - the church's ministry in the city and around the world depends on annual gifts of members and friends. Funded almost entirely through annual giving and endowment income.
2. Endowment Income: Income on the church's endowment, built from generosity of generations of members who bequeathed gifts to the church, enables ministry beyond annual giving.
3. Facility Rental: Provides space for weddings, memorial services, receptions, community meetings, concerts and recitals. Sanctuary (capacity 500), Assembly Room (capacity 80-90), Speers Room (capacity 35-40), and Kitchen available for rental.
4. Planned Giving: Planned giving options offered through the church's Investment Committee for those interested in making endowment contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brown Memorial is an inclusive Presbyterian congregation that delivers Sunday worship services in-person and via Zoom, supported by choral and handbell music ensembles, a structured-literacy tutoring program for Baltimore City elementary students, faith formation classes for all ages, mission and justice partnerships (local and international), and cultural programming through Tiffany Events. Congregational life is centered in a historic sanctuary housing one of the world's largest in-situ Tiffany stained-glass collections and an internationally known 1931 Skinner pipe organ.

Product overview

Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church is an inclusive Christian community offering a unified ministry focused on worship, music, education, and social justice. The core offering is Sunday worship services (in-person and via Zoom), supplemented by music ensembles (Chancel Choir, Handbell Choir, Soulful Revue), the Tutoring Program (literacy instruction for Baltimore City students), and Tiffany Events (cultural programming). Additional programs include faith formation for all ages, mission partnerships, facility rentals, labyrinth walking, and audio tours of the historic sanctuary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly Sunday worship at 10:30 AM, held in-person in the historic sanctuary and via Zoom, featuring song, Scripture, sermon, and communion; includes seasonal services for Easter, Christmas, Ash Wednesday, and other observances. Free and open to the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students often advance by two or more grade levels in reading
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reformed Presbyterian Church of Camajuaní, CubacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Church-to-church partnership formed in early 2019 within a broader partnership between the Presbytery of Baltimore and El Centro Presbytery of Cuba (dating to 2004). Brown sends delegations to pray, learn, support, and visit annually.
• Pejuhutazizi Presbyterian Church (Upper Sioux Community)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnership since 2013 for Pejuhutazizi Family Learning Camp. Brown Memorial members partner with the Presbytery of Baltimore and Dakota Presbytery, sending delegations annually to help run Summer Learning Camps for Native American families.
• Maria Madre De Los Pobres (El Salvador)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986Catholic parish on outskirts of San Salvador partnered with since 1986 during the Salvadoran Civil War. Brown is an 'Accompanying Congregation' and continues to financially support parish ministries and send delegations. Eighteen families are 'Godparents' to children in La Chacra.
• BUILD (Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of BUILD, a broad-based, non-partisan, interfaith, multiracial power organization in Baltimore City. Brown members participate in assemblies and campaigns for affordable housing, living wage, and improvements to Baltimore City Schools. Rev. Andrew Connors serves on the strategy team.
• Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church and St PatrickminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in Brown's Ministry of Welcome, working closely with immigrant siblings in the Baltimore region to provide resources, teach English, practice Spanish, and develop friendships.
• Meals on WheelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization that helps home-bound people eat well and remain in their own homes. Houses one of its many offices within the church and relies on volunteers to deliver meals across the city.
• Our Daily BreadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization within Catholic Charities network working to alleviate poverty and hunger in Baltimore City through hot meals program, job training, and counseling. Brown volunteers contribute 20 casseroles monthly.
• The Samaritan CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit providing services and supports to individuals in crisis located in Bolton Hill. Brown makes referrals to their services and collects winter clothing and food items to donate.
• Presbytery of BaltimorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent Presbyterian (USA) governing body with which Brown is affiliated. Coordinates broader partnerships including the Dakota Learning Camps and Cuba partnership relationships.
• Dakota PresbyterycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresbytery in South Dakota and Minnesota with which Brown partners for annual Summer Learning Camps at various sites. Deep partnership involving delegations of adults, youth, and children from Baltimore.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Pejuhutazizi Presbyterian Church (Upper Sioux Community): Native American Presbyterian congregation in Granite Falls, MN that has partnered with Brown Memorial since 2013 for the Pejuhutazizi Family Learning Camp. Comparably small but mission-focused Presbyterian congregation with a distinctive community identity.

Broad incumbents

• Fourth Presbyterian Church (Chicago): Large Presbyterian (USA) congregation in Chicago known for progressive theology, music programming, community outreach, and city-center location. Comparable as an inclusive, musically distinguished Presbyterian congregation with substantial community service programs.
• The Cathedral of the Incarnation (Episcopal, Baltimore): Larger Episcopal cathedral serving Baltimore with extensive music programming, historic architecture, and broader denominational reach. Comparable as a culturally significant historic religious institution in the same metropolitan area with a music-forward identity.
• Cathedral of the National Cathedral (Washington, D.C.): National Episcopal cathedral known for its iconic architecture, stained glass artistry, music programming, and cultural tourism. Comparable as a destination for culturally significant religious architecture and high-quality music programming in a Mid-Atlantic urban context.
• Trinity Church Wall Street (New York City): Historic Episcopal parish in lower Manhattan with a major endowment, significant cultural assets, music programming, and extensive social justice and affordable housing initiatives. Comparable as a culturally and architecturally distinguished historic urban congregation using substantial resources for justice work.
• Riverside Church (New York City): Iconic progressive mainline (UCC/American Baptist) congregation in NYC with strong social justice programming, historic architecture, musical excellence, and a community-organizing tradition. Comparable as a culturally prominent, theologically progressive, justice-oriented urban congregation at greater scale.

Direct peers

• First & Franklin Presbyterian Church: Another historic Presbyterian (USA) congregation in Baltimore City with an inclusive, progressive orientation and active community programming. Highly comparable denominationally and geographically, serving overlapping progressive Christian demographics in the same urban market.
• Memorial Episcopal Church (Bolton Hill): Historic mainline Episcopal church located in the same Bolton Hill neighborhood as Brown Memorial. Comparable as an inclusive, musically distinguished historic urban congregation with community outreach programming and a culturally significant physical plant.
• Brown Memorial Woodbrook: The Baltimore County congregation that separated from Brown Memorial in the 1979 amicable split. Comparably historic Presbyterian congregation with shared heritage, though serving a suburban demographic rather than the urban Baltimore City base.

Others

• South Baltimore Learning Center: Adult literacy organization in Baltimore where Brown Memorial's Tutoring Program Development Director previously worked. Comparable as a Baltimore-based literacy nonprofit addressing similar reading-deficiency issues among underserved populations, though focused on adults rather than grades 1-5.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@brownmemorialparkavenuepre7312
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrowndowntownBaltimore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brown-memorial-park-avenue-presbyterian-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

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 Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church