faiths . The book limits itself to the United States with little explicit recognition that church vacancies are widespread in all Western societies . Examples of expansive reuse from the Netherlands or Germany or Sweden would make welcome additions . But one book cannot address every aspect of the challenges that face us .
Certainly one encouraging note is that the number of academics , community activists , historic preservationists , denominational leaders , and planners with an active interest in these issues is far greater than the 17 authors represented here . A kind of national brain trust is coalescing today , after many years in which Partners for Sacred Places and just a handful of other organizations were ringing the bell for attention to the peril and promise of church buildings . Now many people are asking , Are churches really gone for good ? If they are , and if we act together , how can we transform this change into something positive ? With their provocative challenges and inspiring case studies , these essays will most certainly advance the cause .
Thomas Edward Frank is professor emeritus from Wake Forest University and former chair of Partners for Sacred Places . He is the author of Historic Houses of Worship in Peril : Conserving Their Place in American Life ( Library Partners Press , 2020 , available on Amazon ).
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