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Frequently Asked Question

St. George is pursuing a permanent home at Willow Hills — not simply to hold more people, but so our parish can live as one spiritual house.

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FAQs

Understanding the Journey

Key information regarding the St. George Living Stones capital campaign and Willow Hills acquisition.

Who is leading the campaign, and who can I talk to?

The Capital Campaign Team:

● Fr. Jeffrey Frate — Spiritual and Vision Guide

● Peter Panagis — Team Lead and Program Management

● Tami Pilgrim — Financial Management

● Eden-Dylan Sears — Marketing and Communications

● Jeff Figgatt — Donor Management

● Raymond Zogob — Non-traditional Funding Options

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Will it look and feel like an Orthodox church?

It will. The campus was built for another tradition, and preparing it for Orthodox worship is a process rather than a single event. Sacred iconography, liturgical appointments, and architectural details will be added in stages, so the sanctuary can serve the parish immediately while it is beautified over time. This is how Orthodox communities have always built: the Liturgy comes first, and beauty grows up around it.

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Will St. George use the entire campus?

Not at first. The seller is leasing the campus back through at least August 2027. Beyond that, the campus is larger than the parish's immediate needs, and the plan is to lease the space we are not yet using to a compatible tenant, such as a school or a community-serving organization. Lease income offsets carrying costs and accelerates debt retirement. As the parish grows, we grow into the space.

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Is the parish taking on debt, and what is the plan to pay it off?

Yes, and the plan is specific and time-bound. The $8 million acquisition was funded by $2 million in capital campaign equity from leadership donors, $4 million in seller financing carried by Willow Hills, and $2 million from a private lender note.

From there, three milestones take St. George to zero:

● Goal 1 (January 15, 2027): Retire the second half of the seller note, $2 million, from leadership donors. Remaining debt: $4 million.

● Goal 2 (June 30, 2029): Retire additional $2 million of the seller note from property sales. Remaining debt: $2 million.

● Goal 3 (June 30, 2029): Retire the private lender note, $2 million, from the capital campaign. Remaining debt: $0.

Every gift to the campaign moves those dates closer.

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What happens to our current church on Gurley Street?

We will continue to worship at Gurley Street until we move to Willow Hills. The property is being listed for sale, and the proceeds are committed to retiring debt from the purchase of Willow Hills rather than to new spending. Gurley Street has faithfully served this parish since 2008, and it carries the prayers of nearly two decades of Liturgies, baptisms, weddings, and memorials. Selling it is how that history funds the next chapter.

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How can parishioners participate in the campaign?

There are three ways, and every one of them matters.

1. Pray. Begin here. Ask God to guide our parish and your household. Pray for wisdom and discernment, for unity throughout the parish, for the successful completion of paying off this debt, for those leading the campaign, for the families who will one day enter this new home, and for the ministries God will make possible through it.

2. Serve. The campaign needs hands as well as gifts. Two immediate needs:

● Helping prepare the Gurley Street property for sale.

● Helping identify a tenant for the portion of the Willow Hills campus the parish will not initially occupy – ideally a school or a compatible community-serving business. If you have a lead or a relevant professional connection, the campaign team wants to hear from you.

3. Give. Gifts can take many forms:

● Cash, check, credit, or debit

● Publicly traded stock, bonds, annuities, and other appreciated securities, which may allow you to avoid recognizing some capital gains while giving the Church the full value of the asset

● Qualified Charitable Distributions from a retirement account, including required minimum distributions

● Real estate, land, or other property of value

● Estate and legacy gifts: wills, trusts, bequests, beneficiary designations, life insurance

● Donor Advised Funds, which are well suited to fulfilling a multi-year pledge

St. George does not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your own advisor about your situation

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When will we worship at Willow Hills?

The earliest we can occupy the campus on Sunday is September 2027.

There is one scenario that could change the shape of that. We are listing our Gurley Street property for sale. If it sells before September 2027 and the buyer needs immediate possession, we have the option to begin using the Willow Hills campus on Saturdays while the current tenant continues to use it on Sundays. In that case, St. George would celebrate Divine Liturgy on Saturday mornings until the lease ends and we take full possession.

We will communicate any change well in advance. Nothing about the parish's liturgical life changes without the blessing of Metropolitan Gerasimos, Fr. Jeffrey's direction, and clear notice to every family.

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Where does the acquisition stand today?

St. George entered escrow on the Willow Hills campus in May 2026 and closed in July 2026. The campus is now ours.

The congregation that sold us the property is leasing it back from St. George for a minimum of 14 months, which runs through August 2027. During that period they continue to occupy the buildings, and St. George continues to worship on Gurley Street.

Why did St. George acquire the Willow Hills campus?

Because God has placed before our parish a mission larger than our current walls.

Running out of room is real. We now offer Divine Liturgy on both Saturday and Sunday mornings to accommodate everyone. But capacity is the symptom, not the reason. As Fr. Jeffrey wrote to the parish, the purchase is not about acquiring property and buildings. It is about creating a permanent home where future generations will be baptized, where marriages will be blessed, where children will learn the faith, where the lonely will find family, and where countless souls will encounter the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Willow Hills makes many things possible that Gurley Street cannot:

Worship as One — A sanctuary set apart for the full liturgical life of the Church, where the whole parish can gather at one altar as one body.

Witness to Christ — A visible, lasting Orthodox beacon in Prescott and throughout Northern Arizona.

Welcome Every Person — Open fellowship space, expanded and accessible parking, and improved access that extends Christ-like hospitality to every visitor, of every age and ability.

Grow in Faith — Classrooms and quiet spaces for catechesis, adult study, and spiritual direction.

Form Future Generations — Dedicated areas for Sunday school, parish education, and mentorship, with room for an Orthodox Christian school and the return of All Saints Summer Camp.

Gather as Family — A spacious hall for parish meals, feast days, Philoptochos events, cultural celebrations, and fellowship.

Serve Our Neighbors — Facilities that enable charitable outreach, food distribution, and mercy ministry across the region.

Grow in Beauty — Traditional Orthodox sacred architecture, iconography, liturgical appointments, and music, shaped in stages over time.

Pray in Peace — A tranquil campus overlooking the very community St. George is called to serve, set aside for personal prayer, contemplation, and retreat.

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What is the timeline for the acquisition and move?

Escrow was entered in May 2026 with formal closing set for July 2026. Phase 1 campus occupancy and liturgical transition will follow in accordance with parish leadership milestones.

How can parishioners participate in the capital campaign?

Parishioners can participate through multi-year pledges, cash gifts, stock and appreciated securities, retirement distributions (QCDs), real estate, or donor advised funds (DAFs).

Still have questions? Reach out to our team.

Contact support

LIVING STONES · ST. GEORGE

Ways To Give

Cash Gifts

Check, Cash, Credit card, Debit card

Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)

DAFs are highly effective tools for fulfilling capital campaign pledges; allowing donors to distribute tax-advantaged charitable dollars over a multi-year campaign.

Gifts of Financial Assets

Publicly traded stock, Bonds, Annuities, Other appreciated securities

Estate and Legacy Gifts

Parishioners may also consider including St. George through: Wills, trusts, bequests, beneficiary designation, life insurance policy

Retirement Assets

Those who qualify may be able to make a gift through a required minimum distribution or another charitable distribution from a retirement account.

Real Estate and Property

Potential gifts may include: Real estate, Land, Other property of value

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