PRESIDENT’ S NOTE
The Transitions Ecosystem
Perhaps America’ s congregations have never been in stasis, but those with older properties are facing winds of change unlike anything we have seen before. Changes in memberships and finances, growing repair issues, new community needs, and declines in government funding are having an effect on congregations and the nonprofits they serve. Sacred places are, in sum, in transition.
When a congregation is reimagining or changing its relationship to its building, we like to say that it is“ in transition.” The congregation may no longer utilize much of the building and so has an opportunity to share that space in greater ways. Or the congregation may be facing major repair issues and needs to turn to a broader array of donors to sustain the building. Perhaps the congregation can no longer manage and take care of the building and must contemplate setting up an allied nonprofit organization. It may need to consider another ownership arrangement or even sell its building— hopefully in a civic-minded way, keeping the building in service to a community that has come to depend on it over many years.
An entire ecosystem of nonprofit and for-profit organizations has arisen in response to these challenges, offering guidance, tools, and resources to churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship. Some focus on helping congregations take a fresh look at their spaces, seeing the potential they have to take on new uses. Other groups work with congregations to engage the larger community, inviting neighbors to share their ideas and reimagine the space together. Still others assist congregations in discerning the mission their properties have or developing the site for housing and other purposes.
Another sign of a maturing ecosystem is that these organizations are talking to each other, learning from each other, and sometimes collaborating. The Faith Property
Collaborative brings together dozens of groups on a regular basis, encouraging the sharing of information and ideas. Several workshops and conferences have brought service organizations together, as well as the congregations they serve. Special projects have enabled collaboration and created new models of religious property stewardship and use, including several“ Thriving Congregations” endeavors supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. Partners, for example, is working with Ministry Incubators and The Good Friday Collaborative to serve several United Methodist cooperative parishes in New York and Connecticut.
Given this whirlwind of need, response, and collaboration, it was high time to 1) describe this ecosystem to our readers, and 2) provide a map to help congregations navigate the choices and decisions they will need to make as they transition from old ways of managing and occupying their building to new and exciting ways to maximize their assets. This issue of Sacred Places endeavors to do both, hopefully providing a valuable resource for congregations in transition across the nation.
A. ROBERT JAEGER
STAFF
A. Robert Jaeger, President
Kevin Block, Director of Special Initiatives Brittany Carter, Sr. Director of Finance and
Operations Daniel Cruz, Technical Assistance Coordinator,
National Fund for Sacred Places Dana Dabek, Director of Community Engagement Karen DiLossi, Sr. Director of Programs Bridget Fidler, Sr. Director of Consulting Tom Fike, Senior Consultant Kathryn Ford, Communications Coordinator Rachel Galton, Intervention Fund Director, National
Fund for Sacred Places Gianfranco Grande, Executive Vice President Emilie Haertsch, Senior Communications Manager Lily Hamilton, Associate Director, National Fund for Sacred Places Rachel Hildebrandt, Sr. Director, National Fund for Sacred Places Victoria Hyman, Financial Assistant Madison Hynson, Development Associate Betsy Ivey, Director, Philadelphia Fund for
Black Sacred Places Simon Kaufman, Sr. Director of Advancement Caroline Lauber, Consulting Associate Rosie Loughran, Program Associate, National Fund for Sacred Places Jasmine Pressley, People Operation Manager Jillian Riseman, Program Associate, National Fund for Sacred Places Owen Robbins, Special Project and Design Associate Emily Sajdak, Director of Rural Initiatives Tamara Littlejohn Small, Administrative Manager Geraldine Wang, Senior Fellow, Strategic
Advancement Emilio Weber, Project Associate
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. G. Edward Hughes, Ph. D Chair
Ms. Barbara Abrajano The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows Mr. Mark Constantine, Ph. D Ms. Jennifer Correia, Secretary Mr. Paul Edmondson, Esq. Ms. Elise Edwards, Ph. D Mr. Marco Federico, Treasurer Ms. Lynn Hunt Gray, Esq. Mr. Jorge L. Hernandez, AIA Mr. Dave Kirwan, Vice Chair Ms. Rosa Lowinger The Most Rev. Denis J. Madden Mr. Mark McDonald Mr. Mendes Napoli Mr. Taylor Steele Mr. Robin E. Whitehurst, FAIA
1700 Sansom Street, 10th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103 partners @ sacredplaces. org www. sacredplaces. org 215.567.3234
SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2026 5