Churches are finding new ways to live into historic callings through innovative facilities projects they hope will sustain their ministries and congregations into the future. Second Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., recently celebrated the opening of a 7,777-square-foot hospitality center…
‘Property rich but cash poor faith groups need help to serve community’
Congregations that are property rich but cash poor need help from municipalities to continue serving their communities, according to a pastor who works in New York City government. These faith institutions “have stood the test of time over all mayors,…
In Metro DC, churches sell, build, renovate for innovative ministry
Creativity, courage and the willingness to make tough decisions are traits churches need to navigate the challenges posed by aging buildings, declining memberships and shifting demographics, according to those living this reality. But it also requires the fortitude to work…
Once the largest Baptist church in Alabama, this congregation is downsizing
Another church that once was among the largest in the Southern Baptist Convention is selling it 19-acre property and downsizing. The property of Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala., is now listed for sale for $28.5 million. Current pastor…
Partners for Sacred Places helps churches see their spaces anew
Bob Jaeger and his team at Partners for Sacred Places want struggling American congregations to know there are numerous ways to preserve and use aging facilities beyond just seeing them become pieces of commercial real estate. But doing so requires…
He’s got a Rice business degree; now he’s focused on finding the best use for church buildings
Church property costs $7 to $10 per square foot annually to operate, which can mean $70,000 to $100,000 for a modest 10,000-square-foot property, according to Rick Reinhard, who unexpectedly has become an authority on repurposing church real estate. Reinhard, a…
How are houses of worship like retail stores? Changing channels of distribution
When a house of worship declines — and many are — the congregation tends to blame a dull pastor, an uninspiring music director or a drafty building with a bad sound system. Suppose the reason, more often than not, is…
What would Jane Jacobs do? Toward a new model for houses of worship
Cities need to prepare for a wave of declining houses of worship. While faith institutions, at least the Christian ones, have been asking What Would Jesus Do? municipalities need to get them to ask another question: What Would Jane Jacobs…
In Oklahoma and Georgia, two Baptist congregations bade farewell to their buildings last Sunday
Some pastors may dread having to move their congregation from a prominent church building into former retail space with a liquor store on the property. But not Jakob Topper, senior pastor of NorthHaven Church in Norman, Okla. “I’m actually excited…
Faced with a tech boom across the street, South Main Baptist Church invests in planning
The real estate value of a church’s land is usually irrelevant. There’s no property tax, and unless a church is ready to sell its land, the fluctuations in value over the years don’t matter much. Until the property becomes too…
‘Jesus was in the streets,’ Louisville pastor says in urging new ministries
Churches cannot remain places solely dedicated to worship and congregational fellowship if they are to answer the calling to serve their neighbors, United Church of Christ minister and activist Jamesetta Ferguson said during the 2022 Coldwell Lectures at Louisville Presbyterian…
Innovation can convert ‘sacred spaces’ to congregational revenue, church leaders testify
Church property and facilities — often financial liabilities for small congregations — can provide vital revenue streams, participants at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s 2022 General Assembly learned. Two pastors, a preschool director and a community ministry leader helped CBF roll…