THE SUNSHINE CATHEDRAL METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH INC

What THE SUNSHINE CATHEDRAL METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH INC does

The Sunshine Cathedral Metropolitan Community Church Inc is a 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit founded in 1971 and headquartered at 1480 SW 9th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Self-described as 'the world's leading progressive queer church,' the organization historically serves the LGBTQ+ community and allies through affirming Christian worship, pastoral care, and social justice activism, claiming 30,000+ combined local and global members through its Global Fellowship program. Its core offerings span weekly worship services (in-person Sundays at 9:00am and 10:30am, plus YouTube streaming and daily Midday Prayer), the Food Sharing Ministry (distributing 550–650 brown bag lunches and 125 grocery bags weekly), the Sunshine Pride House (housing for up to 12 homeless LGBTQ+ young adults), a Center for the Performing Arts, the Samaritan Institute for adult education, and a Speaker Series.

The organization operates with a small paid headcount of 5 employees supplemented by an extensive volunteer structure across food pantry, brown bag lunch, music, hospitality, and pastoral care teams. Its underlying technology stack is commercial off-the-shelf rather than proprietary: payment integrations include Venmo, CashApp, Text-to-Donate, and the OnRealm recurring-giving platform; distribution relies on YouTube streaming and email newsletters; and there are no APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML systems disclosed.

Revenue is donation-driven and diversified across traditional tithes and offerings, digital/recurring giving, event tickets and sponsorships (e.g., anniversary celebrations, performing arts memberships ranging $25 to $5,000+), foundation programs (Ambassadors Club $500–$1,000/year, Pillars Society estate planning), and external grants from funders including The Community Foundation of Broward and The Our Fund Foundation. The affiliated Sunshine Cathedral Foundation provides governance oversight through its Board of Governors. The church is denominationally affiliated with Metropolitan Community Churches and holds secondary affiliations with the Global Justice Institute, Divine Science Federation, International Council of Community Churches, and International New Thought Alliance.

Name

THE SUNSHINE CATHEDRAL METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH INC

Legal name

Sunshine Cathedral Metropolitan Community Church Inc

Website

https://sunshinecathedral.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sunshine Cathedral is a 501(c)(3) progressive LGBTQ+-affirming church founded in 1971 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving 30,000+ members globally through worship, food security programs, youth housing, performing arts, and theological education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and community ministry services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Progressive faith community
• LGBTQ+ affirming church
• Community ministry services
• Food sharing ministry
• Social justice ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Traditional Sunday morning in-person offerings during worship services, both at 9am and 10:30am services. Members and visitors can give cash, check, or through digital methods.
2. Digital Giving: Online giving through Venmo (@SunshineCathedral), CashApp ($SunshineCathedral), Text-to-Donate (SUNSHINE to 73256), and automatic recurring donations via the Realm platform.
3. Event Tickets and Sponsorships: Revenue from Church Anniversary Celebration tickets ($150-$175 individual, $1,300-$1,750 table sponsorship), and Performing Arts events with VIP and sponsorship packages.
4. Foundation Programs: Ambassadors Club annual donations ($500/person, $1,000/couple), Pillars Society estate planning, and Sunshine Cathedral Foundation support.
5. Grants and External Funding: Grant funding from The Community Foundation of Broward for Food Sharing Ministry, and support from The Our Fund Foundation for Pride House operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sunshine Cathedral is a progressive LGBTQ+-affirming Christian church providing weekly worship services (in-person and online streaming), pastoral care, and a portfolio of community ministries including food security programs, housing for homeless LGBTQ+ young adults, performing arts, theological education, and a global fellowship program. Revenue is generated primarily through donations, digital giving, event tickets and sponsorships, paid memberships, and grants supporting community programs.

Product overview

Sunshine Cathedral is a progressive LGBTQ+-affirming Metropolitan Community Church offering a portfolio of ministry programs centered around weekly worship services (in-person and streamed via YouTube) and community outreach. The core product suite includes: Worship Services at 9:00am and 10:30am on Sundays; Food Sharing Ministry with weekly pantry and Brown Bag programs; Sunshine Pride House providing housing for homeless LGBTQ+ youth; Center for the Performing Arts with seasonal programming; Speaker Series featuring theological and social justice speakers; and The Samaritan Institute providing adult spiritual education. Supporting programs include Music Ministry, Volunteer Programs, Prayer Requests, Columbarium services, and the Anchor Church Network for progressive congregation resources. The organization operates as a unified ministry with giving facilitated through OnRealm, Venmo, CashApp, and text-to-donate integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Worship Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Fed 50,000 people experiencing food insecurity in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Global Justice InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSunshine Cathedral bishops serve as Auxiliary Bishops for the Global Justice Institute. The church works with GJI on international LGBTQ+ advocacy, social justice initiatives, and Global Justice Institute Council of Bishops releases statements on peace, diplomacy, and LGBTQ+ rights. GJI is the parent organization providing episcopal oversight.
• Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSunshine Cathedral is affiliated with Metropolitan Community Churches, a denomination founded to serve the LGBTQ+ community. Bishop Griffin served as Special Assistant to Presiding Moderator of MCC and has been on MCC governing board.
• The Our Fund FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTQ Community Foundation that provided funding for Sunshine Pride House through Floatarama LGBTQ Youth Fund. David Jobin, President/CEO, is leading fundraising for Pride House annual operating costs estimated at $300,000.
• SunservecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization providing Youth & Family Services. Mario DePedro serves as Program Director of Youth & Family Services. Sunserve is a key partner in operating Sunshine Pride House and providing wrap-around services for LGBTQ+ youth.
• United Way's Project LifelinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides weekly food donations to the Food Pantry ministry, contributing to the supply chain that serves food-insecure community members.
• Feeding South FloridamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor food donor providing weekly contributions to the Food Pantry, supporting the ministry's ability to distribute fresh produce, bread, and protein options.
• Community AIDS Network (CAN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Sunshine Cathedral Center for Performing Arts, supporting the arts programming that funds community initiatives.
• OutClique MagazineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Performing Arts Series and contributor platform. Bishop Durrell Watkins is a monthly contributor to OutClique Magazine.
• FLITE CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral portal for Sunshine Pride House intake. Community partners and youth can submit referrals through FLITE to connect with wellness team and housing services.
• Divine Science FederationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Divine Science Federation as part of the church's denominational relationships and theological partnerships.
• International Council of Community ChurchesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with this ecumenical body representing the church's commitment to progressive Christian unity.
• International New Thought AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation representing the church's theological connections within the New Thought movement.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Glide Memorial Church: A progressive San Francisco church known for radical inclusivity and large-scale social services (meals, housing, harm reduction), directly comparable to Sunshine Cathedral's worship-plus-social-services model.
• Cathedral of Hope (Dallas): Self-described as the world's largest LGBTQ+ affirming church, Cathedral of Hope operates a similar progressive Christian model combining worship, social services, and community programming, competing for the same constituency.
• All Saints Church (Pasadena): A progressive Episcopal congregation with an LGBTQ+ affirming stance, social justice programs, and speaker series; comparable in theological orientation and program breadth to Sunshine Cathedral.
• Metropolitan Community Churches (Denomination): Sunshine Cathedral's parent denomination, MCC is a global fellowship of LGBTQ+ affirming Christian congregations with comparable worship, social justice, and community outreach programs.

Broad incumbents

• Grace Cathedral (San Francisco): A larger, established progressive Episcopal cathedral with broad social programs, performing arts, and outreach — overlapping with Sunshine Cathedral's mission but at materially greater scale and resources.
• Trinity Church Wall Street: A major historic progressive church with substantial foundation assets and large-scale social justice, housing, and food insecurity programs — comparable mission, dramatically larger endowment.

Others

• The Trevor Project: The leading national organization serving LGBTQ+ youth in crisis, including homeless youth — adjacent to Sunshine Pride House's mission and competing for the same philanthropic capital.

Emerging players

• Los Angeles LGBT Center: While secular rather than faith-based, the LA LGBT Center serves the same LGBTQ+ constituency with housing, food, and youth services — competing for overlapping donor dollars and clients in the same ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SunshineCathedral/streams
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sunshine-cathedral-metropolitan-community-church-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about THE SUNSHINE CATHEDRAL METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH INC