Swarthmore Presbyterian Church

What Swarthmore Presbyterian Church does

Swarthmore Presbyterian Church (SPC) is a non-profit Presbyterian congregation founded in 1896 in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Presbytery of Philadelphia. Its core offering is traditional Sunday worship in a Sanctuary at 10:15 a.m. featuring liturgy, robed choir, and pipe organ, with an 8 a.m. service in Loeffler Chapel, communion on the first Sunday of each month, and livestreaming via YouTube. The church serves a diversified constituency of local residents, children and youth (through Godly Play, children's choirs, youth group, and the Montreat Youth Conference), adults seeking faith formation (weekly adult education, Bible studies, summer reading), refugees and immigrants (First Place Swarthmore transitional housing in partnership with Bethany Christian Services), and food-insecure neighbors (Open Table Saturday at Chester Eastside, clothes closet, backpack school supply drives). Supporting programs include a music ministry with Chancel, Handbell, Children's, and Youth Choirs under a Minister of Music; pastoral care through a Board of Deacons and Stephen Ministers; the Swarthmore Presbyterian Nursery Day School (SPNDS) preschool; and the annual SPC Fall Fair. Following a January 2025 Executive Order that realigned the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, SPC suspended First Place Swarthmore's housing operations and pivoted the initiative to advocacy, accompaniment, and continued care of previously served families; in early 2026 the Session adopted a "Call to Courageous Love" statement in response to violence against immigrants.

Revenue is generated through voluntary congregational contributions: recurring tithes and pledges collected during worship and through an online E-Giving portal (Vanco), special PC(USA) denominational offerings (Christmas Joy, One Great Hour of Sharing, Peacemaking), per-capita contributions of $37 per active confirmed member remitted to the Presbytery of Philadelphia, and a multi-fund legacy giving program (Second Century Fund, Building Preservation Fund, Christian Formation Fund, Music Ministry Fund, Outreach Fund) via bequests, retirement plan designations, life insurance, and donor-advised funds. The organization is governed by a Session of 27 ruling and teaching elders, led by Pastor/Head of Staff Rev. Joyce Shin, with 13 paid staff including two associate pastors, a Director of Business Administration, Director of Communications, Director of Parish Life, Minister of Music, Finance Coordinator, Facilities Manager, and Office Manager. Outreach channels include digital platforms (website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify podcast, weekly email newsletter) and reciprocal community partnerships with Bethany Christian Services, Chester Eastside, New Sanctuary Movement, Interfaith Philadelphia, Temple Sholom, and the Lutheran Churches of Delaware County.

Name

Swarthmore Presbyterian Church

Legal name

Swarthmore Presbyterian Church

Website

https://swarthmorepres.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swarthmore Presbyterian Church is a non-profit PC(USA) congregation founded in 1896 in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, offering traditional Sunday worship, Christian education, music ministry, a preschool, and outreach programs including refugee resettlement support and food security partnerships for local and regional community members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Worship services
• Religious education
• Congregational care
• Community outreach
• Faith formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Swarthmore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Primary revenue from congregational contributions and pledges made during weekly worship services and through online E-giving portal
2. Special Offerings: PC(USA) special offerings including Christmas Joy Offering, One Great Hour of Sharing, and Peacemaking Offering collected at specific times in liturgical year
3. Per Capita Contributions: $37.00 per person annual per capita paid to Presbytery of Philadelphia on behalf of each active confirmed member
4. Legacy Giving: Planned giving through bequests, retirement plan beneficiaries, life insurance, and donor-advised funds supporting Second Century Fund, Building Preservation Fund, Christian Formation Fund, Music Ministry Fund, and Outreach Fund

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Swarthmore Presbyterian Church provides weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and via YouTube livestream), religious education programs for all ages (Godly Play, Youth Ministries, Adult Education, Nursery Day School), pastoral care through Deacons and Stephen Ministers, a multi-generational music ministry with multiple choirs, and community outreach programs including First Place Swarthmore refugee resettlement and Open Table Saturday meals at Chester Eastside. The church operates as a non-profit congregation serving individuals, families, refugee families, and food-insecure neighbors in the Swarthmore and greater Philadelphia area.

Product overview

Swarthmore Presbyterian Church offers a comprehensive portfolio of worship, educational, and outreach programs. The core offerings center on Sunday worship services (in-person and online via YouTube livestream), with pastoral care through sermons, music ministry (choirs for all ages), and children's programming including Godly Play. Educational offerings span Adult Education, Youth Ministries, and the Nursery Day School. Outreach programs include the Open Table Saturday community meal, First Place Swarthmore refugee housing ministry, and advocacy through the New Sanctuary Movement. Additional services include online giving through Vanco, the SPC Weekly Notes newsletter, and annual events such as the Fall Fair. The church maintains a presence across YouTube for streaming, with a website powered by WordPress using the Enfold theme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Bethany Christian ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Primary agency partner approved by US State Department for refugee resettlement. First Place Swarthmore operates in close partnership with Bethany Christian Services to provide transitional housing (typically 4-6 weeks) for newly arrived refugee families while permanent housing is arranged. Partnership enabled resettlement of 13 families totaling 53 individuals from Guatemala, Afghanistan, Syria, Congo, Somalia, and Venezuela.
• Chester Eastside (CEI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership supporting CEI's food pantry, clothing closet, after school programming, summer camp, Thanksgiving meals, Christmas gift exchange, and Open Table Saturday weekly meal ministry. SPC volunteers help with meal preparation, distribution, and companionship. SPC collects clothing donations through Clothes Closet ministry serving people of all ages twice weekly.
• New Sanctuary MovementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith-based organization promoting justice, dignity, and accompaniment for immigrant and refugee communities. SPC participates in weekly peaceful prayer vigils outside ICE Field Office in Philadelphia on Wednesdays at 12 pm. Vigils include music, scripture, reflection, and prayer for those visiting the office, families, workers, and wider community. Rev. Sarah Cooper Searight has helped lead vigil on behalf of Presbytery of Philadelphia.
• Interfaith PhiladelphiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 250th Anniversary Program Series 'Religious Freedom: Then & Now' exploring 250 years of interfaith engagement and understanding in Philadelphia. Series includes monthly programs at participating historic congregational sites including Gloria Dei Old Swedes Episcopal Church, Arch Street Meeting House, Congregation Mikveh Israel, and Christ Church.
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenominational affiliation through Presbytery of Philadelphia. SPC participates in PC(USA) Special Offerings: Christmas Joy Offering (benefits church workers and racial ethnic schools), One Great Hour of Sharing (disaster assistance, self-development, hunger program), and Peacemaking Offering (distributed among congregations, presbyteries, and General Assembly). Per capita contribution of $37 per member supports wider church connection.
• Bryn Mawr and St. John's Presbyterian ChurchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChurch partnership for joint bus travel to Montreat Youth Conference in North Carolina, allowing SPC youth to ride together on chartered bus and make new friends.
• Temple SholommajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership for Beloved Community Adult Civil Rights Journey through American South (Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham) January 10-12, 2027. Partnership led by Rev. Joyce Shin (SPC) and Rabbi Peter Rigler (Temple Sholom) exploring Civil Rights Movement through faith lens.
• Lutheran Churches of Delaware CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterfaith collaboration for Backpack School Supply Drive supporting students in Chester and Upper Darby. SPC participates annually in drive coordinated by Lutheran Churches, with over 500 backpacks distributed last year.
• Everybody Eats PhillyminorOthersLocal business owner providing main entrees for Open Table Saturday weekly meal at Chester Eastside. SPC volunteers manage food preparation, distribution, and companionship during meal service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Christ Church Philadelphia: Historic Episcopal congregation also participating in Interfaith Philadelphia's 250th Anniversary Series. Comparable in age (colonial-era), building preservation profile, and mainline liturgical worship tradition.
• Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church: Neighboring PC(USA) congregation in the Philadelphia Main Line. Shares denomination, suburban Delaware County geography, similar congregational size, and joint programming with SPC (e.g., chartered bus travel to Montreat Youth Conference).
• Chester Eastside, Inc. (CEI): Core outreach partner running the food pantry, clothing closet, and Open Table Saturday meal program that SPC supports with volunteers and meals. Operates a comparable faith-rooted social services and food security mission in the same region.
• Gloria Dei (Old Swedes) Episcopal Church: Historic Philadelphia congregation collaborating with SPC on Interfaith Philadelphia's 250th Anniversary Program Series. Shares an older mainline tradition, historic building, and similar commitment to interfaith engagement.
• St. John's Presbyterian Church (Lansdowne): Partner PC(USA) church in Delaware County that has co-organized youth conference travel with SPC. Operates in the same geographic market with comparable suburban congregation size, programs, and mainline worship style.
• Congregation Mikveh Israel: Historic Philadelphia Jewish congregation partnering with SPC on the 250th Anniversary Program Series. Comparable in historic preservation profile and as a co-participant in interfaith initiatives serving the Philadelphia region.
• Temple Sholom in Broomall: Reform Jewish congregation co-leading the Beloved Community Adult Civil Rights Journey with SPC. Comparable in Delaware County footprint, congregational size, and as a peer congregation engaged in interfaith social justice work.

Broad incumbents

• First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia: Larger historic PC(USA) congregation in central Philadelphia. Comparable denomination, traditional worship with choir and liturgy, and an urban mission footprint, but with significantly greater scale and a broader program portfolio than SPC.
• Bethany Christian Services: National refugee resettlement agency and SPC's primary partner for First Place Swarthmore. Operates the same refugee housing and resettlement service model at a much larger scale across multiple states.
• Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago: Large PC(USA) congregation in Chicago where Rev. Joyce Shin previously served for a decade. Shares denomination, commitment to social justice and outreach, and a more urban program model that informs SPC's leadership pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpx8eAb1641OEg3VpMNCR1Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/Swatmoprez
• Instagraminstagram.com/spccommunications
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swarthmore-presbyterian-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Swarthmore Presbyterian Church