In the heart of Detroit’s historic Corktown, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church has stood for over 160 years as a beacon of hope—serving hundreds through food programs, shelter, and vital community support amid rapid neighborhood change. But a couple of years ago, they had to come to terms with aging electrical and climate control systems - some of which had not been updated since the 1970’s. 

Ministries Coordinator Kateri Boucher  

For us, this isn't the end. We hope that practicing right relationship with creation will imbue all that we do at the church, from working to lower our carbon footprint to relearning ways of being that help us honor both our human and non-human kin around us. - Ministries Coordinator Kateri Boucher

Every September St. Peter’s Episcopal in Detroit celebrates the Season of Creation as a meaningful way to deepen its commitment to being in right relationship with the Earth. Rather than limiting their focus to just Earth Day, the church incorporates this entire season into its liturgy, dedicating time to reflect on and honor the environment throughout several weeks. The Sacred Spaces program, the Michigan Community Center Grant (MCCG), as well as several additional grants the church received through other sources, have supported this approach by enabling the church to align its worship with tangible actions, like energy upgrades, that honor creation and demonstrate their faith in practice.

Joanne Chapman, Bob Chapman, and Rev. Denise Griebler (former pastor), when St. Peter's first installed solar in 2018

Commitment to Community Care

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, founded in 1858 and located in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood, plays a vital and deeply rooted role in serving its community. Amid rapid gentrification, St. Peter’s has remained committed to its mission of social justice and direct service. For decades, the church has hosted a soup kitchen and a weekly volunteer-run food pantry that delivers 40 to 50 baskets of food weekly to residents in need.

Volunteers serve food at Manna Community Meals

St. Peter's parsonage has been converted to the Peace and Justice Hive for use by several community-based organizations including Michigan Mutual Aid Coalition, which provides groceries to those in need, and our own Michigan IPL offices. In addition, St. Peter’s has cultivated “The Holy Underground,” located in the church's basement and chapel spaces, that feeds, shelters, and organizes with the poor—embodying justice, mercy, and care for creation amid gentrification and climate change. It is used by several organizations including the Corner Shower and Laundry, one of the few facilities in Detroit offering showers, laundry, food, and donated clothing to people experiencing homelessness or unstable housing, as well as Manna Community Meals which has been feeding and clothing unhoused people for over 50 years.

St. Peter's old and new boiler with Peter McAlpine who installed the first one with his dad years ago, and then recently installed the new one

Better boilers and brighter lights

Recent energy projects have enabled St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and their partners to better serve the community in both practical and visionary ways. St. Peter’s Bob Chapman, a long time lay-leader in the congregation, explains that by reducing their carbon footprint through energy-efficient upgrades, like installing a high-efficiency boiler and LED lighting, they’ve significantly lowered their operating costs. That means more of their limited resources can go directly into community programs.

These changes cut costs and they improve the experience for those they serve. For example, new windows, lighting, mini heat pump air conditioners, and a mechanical ventilation system (that brings in fresh and pumps out stale air), have made their Peace and Justice Hive and Holy Underground more comfortable and welcoming for both volunteers and guests. With these upgrades, they’re not just keeping the lights on—they’re creating dignified, safe, and inviting spaces for those who need them most and are able to expand their reach.

Bob says that beyond the financial and comfort benefits, these improvements position St. Peter’s as a model for sustainable action in urban ministry. By replacing old, inefficient, and often donated, refrigerators and stoves with Energy Star models, they’re showing what's possible—even in a 100-year-old building with deferred maintenance challenges. By upgrading from traditional gas fueled heating and cooling systems to electrical ones, and by installing solar panels, they are setting the stage for decarbonization - a move away from burning fossil fuels.

Siren S. with Michigan Mutual Aid Coalition, housed at St. Peter’s, gives a thumbs up to the new ENERGY STAR refrigerators

These upgrades are part of a broader mission to embody justice, stewardship, and compassion. Ministries Coordinator Kateri Boucher explains that there is a resurgence of young people returning to St. Peter’s, drawn by the church’s commitment to climate justice, its frontline work against gentrification, and its steadfast dedication to being a welcoming place for the poor amid it all.

Every step they’ve taken in their journey of energy upgrades strengthens their capacity to serve people experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty—and they hope it inspires others to see energy work as essential ministry work.

Energy Stewardship as a Faith Practice

Bob Chapman shares that one key takeaway for other congregations about saving energy is that it’s both a financial decision and a reflection of core values. At many churches and organizations, energy bills are routinely paid without deeper analysis, often overlooked as a potential area for stewardship. St. Peter’s experience encourages other faith communities to take a more intentional approach, seeing energy efficiency as a way to live out their commitment to creation care.

For St. Peter’s, saving energy is a way of demonstrating that caring for the environment is more than just a belief; it’s a practice. Bob emphasizes that this work requires leadership buy-in and ongoing commitment, not just one-time upgrades or grants. Through programs like the Sacred Spaces and MCCG, St. Peter’s not only improved its own facilities but also gained valuable insights from other congregations—learning about sustainable land use, rain gardens, and waste reduction. Their message to others is clear: if caring for creation is a part of your faith, then energy stewardship should be too.

Congregants gather inside St. Peter's sanctuary 

Select upgrades were supported by Michigan’s Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) under U.S. Treasury Dept. award number SLFRF0127. Sacred Spaces upgrades were supported by the Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) under U.S. Dept. of Energy award number EE0008653 in partnership with World Renew and EcoWorks.