So are we in the midst of a movement to change the future of sacred places in their communities ? It is hard to identify any one component that has shifted and enabled people to imagine change . It might be that the cumulative effect of media attention to the issue , new philanthropic priorities , denominational concerns about real estate , and local communities seeing vacant sacred places have all contributed to a shift in political opportunity . The Convening itself also could be considered the shift ! Many participants said that they saw the issue that had been in front of them for years in a new light — a paradigm shift . Like the leader in Reading , we are asking what would happen if countless sacred places at risk disappeared over the next few years . However , this shift in and of itself does not necessarily mobilize people . There are two other stars that need to align .
Funding , leadership , expertise , networks , access to decision makers from local to national levels , ways to get the message out are all necessary fuel . The challenge is daunting , not only for an individual sacred place but on the national scale . Christ Episcopal Church could not make its building a public asset without additional resources . The congregation found new partners in a regional foundation and local government . At the Convening , the wide array of resources represented in the room was impressive , from funders to government representatives to those with expertise in buildings and leadership development . But again , having an abundance of resources is not enough on its own to mobilize for social change .
Social movements need resources — lots of them .
It is possible to change the narrative from the demise of religious spaces to their preservation and revitalization . Since the Convening , a flurry of conversations has reflected the hope that change is indeed necessary and possible . Moreover , new activities have been generated : researchers are planning or
A fifth critical ingredient : a sense of viability , a belief that change can be made .
conducting new studies to better understand congregations in transition , their sacred places , and their communities . Theological schools are planning new programs that will better equip faith leaders to navigate community engagement through the assets of their sacred places . Funders are exploring new collaborations for building capacity . The media is covering the stories of sacred places in transition . There is movement on multiple levels just months after the initial excitement .
So are we in a collective movement to change the future of sacred places and their communities ? The essential components — a grievance , a moral imperative , a shift in opportunity , resources , and hope — seem to be there . This is not the kind of social movement that involves marches of thousands in the street carrying signs . There won ’ t be chants , slogans , buttons , or boycotts . But the change being sought will have a profound impact on the quality of life in communities in both urban and rural areas . It is an impact we have not imagined in the past : one in which sacred places will be preserved and activated to be assets for neighbors as well as members .
18 SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2025