‘To be or not to be.’ In 2020, as Covid-19 spread to disrupt the communal and embodied life of congregations, two enthusiasts for Congregational Studies in the UK, Helen Cameron and I, were pondering whether there was a future, or not, for Congregational Studies. Were we remnants of a dying species or were others like…
Communities across the US are facing challenges that may seem too great to overcome. The streets have become dangerous, even deadly, and it’s tempting to think that congregations have nothing to offer. But nothing could be further from the truth. Hard times are not the moment for underestimating the resources congregations bring to the…
Recently I attended a convening of amazing people who all care about religious buildings – what they mean for the people who worship in them, what they mean for the people and organizations that share them, and what they mean in the physical communities they often anchor. Partners for Sacred Places, headquartered in Philadelphia, was…
Ask someone why a congregation would share its facilities with an outside group or organization, and you may get the answer, “It’s all about the money.” Congregations need operating funds, and rental income is an obvious source of income, correct? National data challenge that assumption. Sociologist Nancy Ammerman’s study of more than 500 Christian and…
As COP 28 opened in Dubai, the international community was called to focus on combatting climate change. Doing so is critical for the sake of those alive today, and also for those born tomorrow. Given that reality, it is important to ask what the role of religious communities might be. Considering future generations in current…