New Bethany, a nonprofit founded in the 1980s by the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem in partnership with the City of Bethlehem and Nativity Cathedral, seeks “to build a community of hope and support for those who seek help and for those who desire to make a difference in the Lehigh Valley.” The diocese has continued in partnership with New Bethany since the nonprofit’s founding in Bethlehem on the same city block it shares with Nativity Cathedral.
This partnership expanded in October 2022 when the diocese provided its unused apartment above its office spaces to New Bethany for volunteer housing. Further expansion of the partnership occurred in February 2023 with the welcoming of New Bethany staff into several unused offices at Diocesan House (333 Wyandotte Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania). This expansion also included providing meeting spaces to New Bethany for staff meetings, meetings of trustees, and community partner meetings.
An increasing need during the past five years to offer “hope and support to people who experience poverty, hunger, and homelessness” has resulted in a significant expansion of New Bethany’s work. In collaboration with New Bethany, Bishop Kevin D. Nichols began discernment about selling Diocesan House to New Bethany to enable their expanded presence in Southside Bethlehem.
“New Bethany ministries was a vision of a reimagined Wyandotte Street where the spiritual and outreach needs of Southside Bethlehem and beyond would be embraced with the love of Jesus,” said Bishop Nichols. “In so many ways, this dream has been realized.”
New Bethany’s Executive Director, J. Marc Rittle, said that “the addition of 333 Wyandotte directly responds to New Bethany’s need for expanded facilities to carry out our mission and better serve our neighbors effectively. Although we have tripled our budget and doubled our staff to meet the increasing demand for our services, we are simply out of room to accommodate everyone. We are deeply grateful for the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem’s collaboration and vision in facilitating this acquisition. The diocese is paving the way for future projects that help our community members thrive, and we look forward to deepening our partnership to meet Lehigh Valley’s evolving needs.”
As the sale of Diocesan House to New Bethany began to take shape, Bishop Nichols began discernment with Nativity Cathedral about Diocesan Staff relocating to the cathedral’s office spaces. Although this discernment began with the practical needs of both the cathedral and Diocesan Staff, it quickly became evident that the potential for enhanced shared ministry between Bishop Nichols and Nativity Cathedral outweighed the administrative and financial benefits of sharing the cathedral’s office space.
The Very Rev. Jon Stratton, Dean and Rector of Nativity Cathedral, had this to say about welcoming Bishop Nichols and his staff into their office space: “As the Cathedral, Nativity represents the unity of the diocese, and one of the roles of a bishop is to guard the unity of the Church. So, on a symbolic level, it makes sense for the Bishop and his staff to be housed at Nativity. His chair is here, so why not his desk as well? It also makes good practical sense. The Cathedral hosts diocesan events throughout the year and having Cathedral and Diocesan Staff near each other will facilitate deeper and more efficient collaboration. I’m really looking forward to sharing space.”
Regarding the relocation of his and his staff’s office to the cathedral, Bishop Nichols said, “I so look forward to partnering with Dean Jon and the Cathedral community as we embolden our commitment to build the Beloved Community.”
The transfer of deed for Diocesan House to New Bethany is scheduled for late May 2025. The relocation of Diocesan Staff to Nativity Cathedral is expected to begin in early June 2025.