TRINITY Church, on Wall Street, New York, has published a
financial statement which reveals that its assets amount to more
than $2 billion.
The vestry of Trinity has released its income and budget
figures, which, it says, show that the parish's "extensive
resources are wisely and appropriately utilised".
The report also says that Trinity is a "force for good in Lower
Manhattan, the diocese of New York, the wider Episcopal Church, and
the worldwide Anglican Communion".
The parish's wealth dates back to a gift from Queen Anne to
Trinity Church of 215 acres of farmland, in 1705. This has now been
turned into 5.5-million square feet of commercial real estate in
some of the most sought-after areas of Manhattan, worth more than
$2 billion.
The parish earned $158 million in income from this real estate
in 2011, most of which was spent on maintaining its real estate. Of
the $38 million for the church's operating budget, $4 million was
spent on communication, and $3 million on philanthropy.
The congregation of Trinity has been split over whether the
church should be giving more to charity. Nearly half the vestry
resigned, or claim that they were pushed out, after a failed bid
last year to get the Rector, the Revd Dr James Cooper, to step
down.