By Karen Plater, Stewardship, and Betty Kupeian, Presbyterian Church Building Corporation. Originally published in The Presbyterian Connection Fall 2023.
For two days at the end of April 2023, Betty Kupeian, Chief Operating Officer of the Presbyterian Church Building Corporation (PCBC); Ainsley Chapman, Executive Director, Evangel Hall; Karen Plater, Associate Secretary, Stewardship, The Presbyterian Church in Canada; and the Rev. Dr. Tim Dickau, Missional Leadership Certificate Program, St. Andrew’s Hall, B.C., joined a group of 30 people from across the country to reflect on how the use of church buildings and properties may be reimagined. The group was composed of urban planners, architects, denominational leaders, Indigenous Elders and non-profit housing developers from Presbyterian, United, Anglican, Christian Reformed, Baptist, Missionary Alliance and Pentecostal traditions.
Karen, Betty and Ainsley are part of a team that has been working together for the past three years to evaluate resources and agencies that have the potential to best support congregations and presbyteries as they discern best practices in the stewardship of the church buildings and properties under their care. The team includes staff and volunteers from the Life and Mission, General Assembly Office, Church Architecture Committee, Financial Services, PCBC and ministries working in affordable housing (Evangel Hall). If you are interested in participating in this conversation, please contact Karen Plater at kplater@presbyterian.ca. Watch for new resources and webinars on this subject coming this fall.
Fourteen Presbyterian congregations closed this past year. Beginnings and endings have long been a part of the history of the church. There is always something sad when a congregation’s ministry ends. Our church history, however, is steeped in the tradition of being reformed and always reforming. This tradition was reflected in several reports to General Assembly highlighting congregational ministries that have adapted to their context while adopting fresh ways to share the good news by meeting community needs in changing times.
No one can deny that the church in Canada is going through a period of significant decline, where congregational closings exceed openings. We are not alone in these observations. At the end of April 2023, an ecumenical group of people concerned with these closings gathered to see where God is at work today and to un cover possibilities for continuing God’s mission in light of these challenges.
We are aware that in the past 10 years over 4,500 congregations across all denominations have closed. We have seen church properties sold to private individuals, businesses and developers, to be turned into private homes, condos, pubs, stores, cafés, galleries and theatres. We have also seen the rapidly rising real estate values—in both the rental and ownership markets—which are resulting in an affordable-housing crisis across Canada and a loss of affordable spaces for community gatherings and programs serving acute and chronic social needs. We are also increasingly aware of the critical role played by land and churches in our colonial history.
Through table discussions, presentations and dialogues this ecumenical group explored several ideas to respond to our rapidly changing context. Ideas included using/converting congregational buildings/properties into spaces for affordable housing (subsidized apartments, rent geared to income, etc.), supported housing (for seniors or people with disabilities), community hubs, social enterprise spaces and other creative uses, all with a focus on environmental stewardship. Case studies were shared about
Presbyterian Housing News Update 2
congregations that have developed parking lots into a mixed social and affordable housing project, and others that have become community hubs (including space for community worship), and how others are using their properties to serve in healing and reconciliation.
We have heard that a cost accompanies these visions. The decision may be not to sell properties/buildings to the highest bidder, or not to sell them at all. (Proceeds of building and property sales are folded back into mission and ministry.) If the priority is affordable housing, such a project may impinge on the income needed to support a congregation’s ministry. Building to the highest environmental standards is more expensive than traditional means.
Indeed, these costs are borne by the congregation (if it is continuing on), the presbytery and the denomination. And yet, we are conscious that we are called to be good stewards of the propˇerties and historic buildings we are given. And so we are seeking to discern how these assets may best serve the mission that God is already affecting in our world. In this regard, we were also challenged by Indigenous people who were present to consider and explore the role of land and buildings in healing and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples—and how to ensure that Indigenous needs, ideas and opinions are reflected in our decisions.
While recognizing that these are challenging discussions, we felt that we should risk the conversation as we stand firm in commitment to live our faith in action. The dialogue started at this conference continues to provide discussion points that support conversation at all levels of the PCC.