By Pastor Peter Morris, Memorial UCC & Arbor Good Neighbor House
For 60 years, Arbor Covenant Church sat at the end of McDivitt Road in Madison. It never grew large but it was always vibrant — a place where community took root, where friendships were cultivated, where worship shaped shared life and purpose. Grounded in our Swedish Covenant heritage, we sought to live out its unofficial motto “for God’s glory and neighbors’ good”—a calling that, at its best, understands love of neighbor and care for God’s creation as deeply intertwined expressions of faith.
Over time, challenges facing many neighborhood congregations—alongside tensions within our historic denominational home—made sustaining traditional forms of ministry increasingly difficult. But instead of signaling decline, this moment invited discernment. Through prayerful reflection and honest conversation, we sensed that what was needed was not preservation, but regeneration: a renewed commitment to the neighborhood ecosystem of which we are a part.
We came to see our church property not simply as a building, but as land entrusted to us—soil capable of nurturing new expressions of community life. Located between the Leopold and Arbor Hills neighborhoods of South Madison, the site had long served as a gathering place. Now we envisioned it becoming an even more intentional community asset: a place where the shared resources, shared commitments, and a deep sense of belonging could intersect.
Caring for neighbors includes caring for the conditions in which neighbors live. Housing stability, economic opportunity, access to green space, and networks of mutual support are all part of what allows communities to flourish. That conviction led us into deeper partnership.
Our long-standing relationship with Memorial UCC—just three miles away—had already taught us the strength of collaboration. Together, as founding members of the South Beltline Cluster of Churches, and through the creation of the Good Neighbors Personal Essentials Pantry, we had practiced shared ministry rooted in dignity and mutual care. Providing essential household supplies and hygiene products may seem simple, but it is part of a broader ecology of justice: ensuring that every household has what it needs to live with health and self-respect.
Recognizing the urgent regional need for high-quality, affordable housing—housing that is not only low-cost but thoughtfully integrated into the life of the community—we formed a partnership with Common Wealth Development. As a nonprofit developer committed to workforce development, small business incubation, and supportive community design, Common Wealth approaches housing as more than shelter. Their work reflects an understanding that built environments shape human well-being and that sustainable communities require consistent, long-term intention.
Existing relationships between Arbor members and Common Wealth, along with their demonstrated commitment to neighborhood vitality, made them a natural partner to carry forward the stewardship of this land. A few years ago, we formalized that trust by selling the property to Common Wealth Development. The long-term vision is to cultivate high-quality, affordable housing that contributes to a more just and sustainable Madison. While that work unfolds over time, our immediate commitment has been to ensure that the life already rooted in our community can thrive.
When the property was sold, we leased it back and established a nonprofit called Arbor Good Neighbor House—the new name for a space that has long served as common ground. From this site, the Good Neighbors Personal Essentials Pantry continues its work. The preschool that has shaped young lives in our building and on our playground for more than 50 years remains a place of growth and learning. The community garden—first tilled roughly 30 years ago—still offers neighbors soil, sunlight, and shared labor, reminding us that food and friendship, both begin with cultivation.
Beyond sustaining these programs, Arbor Good Neighbor House is widening circles of belonging. We are sharing space with a growing number of community groups, fostering networks of mutual aid, and creating opportunities for neighbors to exchange resources, skills, and support. In this way, the building continues to function as a living, interconnected space—responsive and rooted in place.
Memorial UCC in Fitchburg
Memorial UCC walked alongside us throughout this transition. As we began worshiping together weekly, collaboration deepened into communion. Arbor members found new avenues for service and belonging — joining Memorial’s choir and ministry teams — while members of Memorial helped shape the new nonprofit. What began as partnership gradually revealed itself as shared vocation.
In time, it became clear that our communities were not merely collaborating, but converging. When Arbor Covenant formally closed in 2025, we had already become integrated into the life of Memorial UCC—a transition affirmed when I was called to serve as co-pastor alongside Rev. Kris Gorton.
Strictly speaking, Arbor Covenant Church no longer exists as a congregation. Yet its legacy endures — in the sustainable housing envisioned by Common Wealth Development, in the shared ministry of Memorial UCC, in the everyday interactions taking place at Arbor Good Neighbor House.
The name on the building has changed. The organizational structure has evolved. But the deeper calling remains: to nurture communities where people and place can flourish together. As relationships deepen, as green space is tended, as quality, affordable housing takes shape, and as neighbors find belonging, the work continues, now part of a broader ecosystem — rooted in the land, sustained by partnership — very much alive in the ongoing pursuit of God’s glory and neighbors’ good.
Rev. Peter Morris