Next Steps
Building Capacity Among Key Leaders
1 . Developing capacity among religious leaders
Clergy are critical players in any effort to care for and make the most of sacred places as assets for congregational life and community outreach . However , this topic is rarely taught in seminaries , requiring religious leaders to learn on the job . They are often unprepared to oversee the stewardship of aging buildings , may not know how to pursue public funding or work with municipal agencies , preservationists , or architects , nor do they have a deep understanding of the civic value of their sacred places . These are acquired skills . Clergy members often feel alone and unsupported as they deal with property issues . In addition , post-pandemic burnout has accelerated a wave of clergy leaving the ministry , with some studies indicating that over half are considering leaving . 1
One way to support clergy and begin to address this trend is to reach out to judicatory and denominational leaders who work with clergy and , in some denominations , control the fate of the property of their congregations . Just as clergy feel alone and under-resourced , often judicatory officials feel the same . Regional and interfaith gatherings of clergy may provide a venue for them to learn about Partners and other organizations who can offer them ideas , options , training , and resources for their endeavors .
Another option is to plan and host a mini-convening for those overseeing seminary programs in continuing education for clergy to discuss the development of programs on how to recognize and make the most of their buildings as assets for their mission in the community . There are several organizations that could provide resources for these continuing education programs , including Partners , Rooted Good , Sympara , Enterprise Community Partners , and Oikos . Through continuing education programs , clergy could learn skills that would help them revitalize their mission .
1 . See research on this from Hartford ’ s Religious Research Institute , EPIC study ( Exploring the Pandemic ’ s Impact on Congregations ) https :// www . covidreligionresearch . org / research / national-survey-research / im-exhausted-all-the-time-exploring-thefactors-contributing-to-growing-clergy-discontentment /
2 . Shaping an Institute for Sacred Places Studies
Given that so many community organizations have a stake in the health and vitality of sacred places , the time may be right to explore and define a new interdisciplinary program on sacred places studies open to leaders in religion , government , community development , architecture , the performing arts and so on , based at a seminary or university . The program could draw on faculty from a variety of disciplines such as planning , architecture / preservation , religious studies , sociology , ethics , business , social work , and arts management . This could either be a credited graduate degree or a certificate program for practitioners . Those who complete the program would have a specialization that would enable them to bring skills to local communities , agencies , or denominations .
3 . Hosting mini-convenings on specific topics
While many participants expressed a desire for “ a second annual Convening on Activating the Assets of Sacred Places ,” in the short term mini-convenings will be more manageable , each with a clear focus on a narrow topic such as housing development , climate change , underserved congregations , and ethical questions around investment in sacred places .
15