Meet the Experts:
The Transitions Ecosystem
By Dana Dabek and The Rev. Rochelle Stackhouse, Partners for Sacred Places
Congregations undergoing property transition can lean on many organizations for guidance and support, in addition to Partners for Sacred Places. Below is a sampling, and by no means an exhaustive list, of the organizations in the ecosystem of church property transition.
ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY PARTNERS * Enterprise Community Partners provides access to training, technical assistance, capital, and development services to houses of worship pursuing development of affordable housing or community-serving facilities.( • • •) enterprisecommunity. org
FLOURISH PLACEMAKING COLLABORATIVE Flourish Placemaking Collaborative helps congregations connect with the community to enable the use of their space for community thriving.( • •) flourishplacemaking. org
GOOD FRIDAY COLLABORATIVE Good Friday Collaborative cares for congregations at the end of their life cycle. They provide practical, emotional, and spiritual support for missional endings, including church merger and holy closure.( • • •) goodfridaycollaborative. com
MINISTRY INCUBATORS Ministry Incubators works with missional innovators in faith communities to get their wild, faith-inspired projects clarified, launched, and sustainable so that communities can be changed for the better.( • •) ministryincubators. com
THE OIKOS INSTITUTE The Oikos Institute helps faith communities and other BIPOC institutions harness the power of their assets in order to be a catalyst for communal transformation and economic renewal.( • •) oikosinstitute. org
PARTNERS FOR SACRED PLACES Partners works with faith communities to address pressing questions about the future of their buildings and open space, supporting them in developing a successful, communityminded approach that sustains the civic value of sacred places.( • • •) sacredplaces. org
PROXIMITY PROJECT Proximity Project helps churches discover real estate and placemaking solutions that fit their mission in the neighborhood.( • • •) proximityprojectinc. com
ROOTED GOOD Rooted Good empowers churches and leaders to make more good in the world by aligning money and mission, launching social enterprise, and developing church-owned property.( • • •) rootedgood. org
SYMPARA Sympara helps communities across the United States reimagine underutilized religious properties for social impact through discernment, community engagement, and partnership development.( • • •) sympara. org
THRESHOLD SACRED DEVELOPMENT * Threshold Sacred provides integrated and mission-aligned support along the entire development journey from imagination to construction to completion and beyond.( • • •) thresholdsacred. com
TRINITY CHURCH * Trinity Church Wall Street( NY) Mission Real Estate empowers churches to build sustainable financial capacity and enhance community impact through the creative development of church property.( • • •) trinitychurchnyc. org
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST: BUILDING AND LOAN FUND * UCC Building and Loan works primarily, but not exclusively, with UCC and UU churches. They transform communities by helping the Church live into God’ s economy. They help congregations plan, raise, finance, and build these projects.( • • •) cblfund. org
WESLEY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT * Wesley Community Development is an innovative, full-service, nonprofit real estate firm uniquely qualified to partner with faith-based organizations in helping them reimagine, repurpose, and redevelop their physical assets to live into their vision.( • • •) wesleycdc. com
WHAT PHASES OF WORK DO THESE ORGANIZATIONS FOCUS ON?
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Information Gathering Discernment Transition
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Property Development
21 SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2026