Every congregation pursues its mission within a specific culture, and in the US today, that culture is deeply polarized. The Congregations and Polarization Project spent its first 18 months asking pastors which issue they found most polarizing in their congregations or in the larger community they served. We created focus groups of pastors all…
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…
When we think about why clergy might leave their positions, we often focus on the obvious challenges: long hours, modest pay, or theological disagreements. But new research I conducted, forthcoming in the Review of Religious Research, reveals a clear and perhaps surprising finding—the single most important factor in whether ministers stay or go isn’t about…
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…
Ever think about the good your congregation does for the community – even when you aren’t trying? Yes, we know that congregations are critical parts of every community’s safety net. As the Boston Globe reported, with thousands of refugees needing assistance, it is often faith communities that organize the food, shelter, clothing, and other assistance…