Next Steps
Creating a Coordination Point for New Research
Research has been an important part of Partners ’ work , including research on the economic contribution of sacred places to their community ( their “ Halo Effect ”), what happens in sacred places other than worship , ways that smaller congregations can consider selling , sharing , or repurposing their buildings while retaining their civic value , and the resilience and vulnerabilities of older religious properties . Four research projects supported by minigrants from Partners were shared at the Convening , as well as a report on building use from the National Congregations Study .
Tellingly , research on the issue of congregations and sacred places transcends the work of Partners . In addition to the NCS research , another national , multiplewave database of research on congregations has been offered by FACT ( Faith Communities Today ), and other institutions are generating relevant research such as Notre Dame ( Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate ); Villanova ( Center for Church Management ); and Morgan State ( Center for Religion and Cities ).
Even with increasing attention on the issue among researchers , the Convening highlighted many areas of “ what we don ’ t know but need to find out ,” such as :
• When healthy congregations share their space , with which community groups and services do they partner ? What is the impact on their community ?
• How many congregations are reaching a tipping point where property care and other pressures may cause them to close or merge in coming months ?
• What impact do trainings and interventions — provided by Partners as well as groups like Oikos and Rooted Good — have on congregations transitioning to new models of property use , stewardship , and ownership ?
• What is the pattern and dynamic of deferred maintenance among sacred places ?
• What happens to buildings when congregations close ?
• What is the impact on communities when multiple sacred places weaken or close ( measuring outcomes on health , crime , property values )?
“ How do we take what has been a gradual movement and make it a sudden firework on the national stage ?” — John Bridgeland , Office of American Possibilities
A new research coordination role would enable Partners to orchestrate and strengthen the research being done , and develop new collaborations with seminaries , think tanks , and academic institutions interested in this issue . It would organize and enhance the network of researchers in this area , enabling focus and coordination rather than duplication , and collaboration rather than competition for resources . Partners and its institutional partners could gather the community of researchers and provide a context in which they could share findings and offer critique . Further , it would help researchers identify grant funding and shape proposals . Findings would be critical to those who are involved in planning the future of sacred places — leaders of religious institutions , preservationists , planners and relevant government officials , and others related to the larger project of strengthening communities .
This coordination role would entail :
• organizing an advisory team representing research partners
• planning annual gatherings of researchers ( mini convenings ) to identify research directions
• developing a communications strategy to disseminate findings
• creating a pool of research funding for mid-sized grants ($ 20,000 – $ 50,000 ), and developing a process for allocating it
• working with researchers in identifying larger research grants for projects that are wider in scope ( such as national and / or longitudinal studies ).
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