Movement :
Reflection After a National Convening
By The Rev . Dr . Katie Day
ast April in Philadelphia , Partners
L for Sacred Places organized a National Convening on “ Activating Hidden Assets ,” in which over 100 leaders from multiple sectors gathered to focus on the future of at-risk sacred places and the communities they serve . This assembly of stakeholders — from religion , government , architecture and preservation , media , philanthropy , academia , the arts , and human service nonprofits — had not been seated around the table together before . Their charge : to find innovative ways to preserve and fully utilize sacred spaces as assets for congregations and their communities . New thinking was sparked , new strategies imagined , and new partnerships considered . There was a strong , hopeful synergy turning the now-familiar narrative of religious decline on its head .
One of the speakers , John Bridgeland — well known as a big-picture thinker and national leader in generating civic innovation — was the first to identify the effort as a “ movement ,” a word echoed by other speakers and participants . In describing the excitement in the room , Bridgeland said , “ It felt like a revival .” However , does excitement translate into a movement for social change ? Or was this an exciting but all-toofleeting moment ?
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