(Photo by Debby Hudson / Unsplash)
Church bells that once called communities together are increasingly falling silent. Many churches, synagogues, mosques, meetinghouses and temples, once pillars of their communities, are being sold, abandoned or demolished.
If you do not belong to one of these congregations, you may ask: So what?
These buildings hold more than just spiritual significance. They are deeply tied to neighborhood identity, economic activity and outreach to people in need. And without intervention, cities like Philadelphia will continue losing not only places of worship but the social infrastructure that holds neighborhoods together.
The problem is not just declining religious attendance. It is civic leaders’ failure to see these buildings for what they are: economic and social engines embedded in the fabric of their communities.
I’m the co-founder of Partners for Sacred Places, an organization that has led efforts to preserve, repurpose and reimagine these spaces as thriving centers of civic life. Our 2016 Halo Effect study, conducted with the University of Pennsylvania, found that the average older sacred place in an urban setting generates $1.7 million annually in economic impact.
More than half of congregations provide community services that extend far beyond religious practice. About 52% of houses of worship host essential services such as food pantries, homeless shelters, after-school programs, polling places and health clinics. Some function as emergency shelters, warming centers in the winter, and disaster response hubs during crises.
Nearly 90% of those who benefit from these programs are not members of the congregation, demonstrating that these institutions serve the broader public. Yet, when the houses of worship are vulnerable, cities rarely step in to provide help to these places and prevent the fallout.
What local governments can do
The most effective way to sustain the civic value of sacred places is through proactive policy changes and investment strategies that recognize their community value. Local governments can start by integrating religious properties into community development plans, rather than treating them as places with no relevance to the public good.
One approach includes public-private partnerships that help maintain and adapt these buildings for full and continued use. This can involve incentives for congregations to share their space with community organizations, or grants for capital improvements that allow religious buildings to operate as multi-use facilities.
How do I know this works? Because the National Fund for Sacred Places, which we run in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has already helped more than 100 congregations secure over $50 million to restore and repurpose their spaces.
Municipalities can also create dedicated funds or incentives for adaptive reuse projects. Just as historic preservation tax credits help save old theaters and warehouses, similar incentives can encourage the transformation of sacred places into cultural hubs, housing initiatives, or co-working spaces for nonprofits and social enterprises.
Land use and zoning reforms also play a critical role. Many sacred places are subject to restrictive zoning laws that prevent them from adapting their spaces for alternative uses.
Cities that update these regulations can unlock the potential of religious buildings, allowing them to house everything from libraries to artist studios, from affordable housing to community kitchens. Congregations may or may not remain in these buildings, but their civic purpose can go on.
What sacred places can become
Across the country, communities have already begun reimagining these spaces. Many serve as incubators for new civic projects, blending their historic purpose with modern needs. Here’s a small sampling:
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The Bridge Ministry Center in New York turned a shuttered church into a shared workspace for local nonprofits and social entrepreneurs, offering affordable rent in a neighborhood where commercial space is often out of reach.
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Calvary United Methodist Church in Philadelphia formed a supporting organization, the Calvary Center for Culture and Community, that played a lead role in managing and sharing the building. The church basement is now used by Curio Theatre and serves as a mixed-use space serving multiple community organizations.
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The Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C. partnered with performing arts groups to provide rehearsal and event space, creating a sustainable revenue stream while enriching the cultural landscape of the city.
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St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, which recently underwent a full roof and sanctuary restoration through grants and fundraising, offers hot meals, a food pantry, legal and health services, and shelter for the unhoused in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
These success stories highlight what is possible when communities take an active role in reimagining sacred spaces rather than allowing them to disappear.
The cost of doing nothing
If we allow these buildings to be lost, the consequences will be felt far beyond their congregations. Their closures can lead to higher rates of food insecurity, reduced access to essential services, and the loss of crucial gathering spaces in neighborhoods that already lack public infrastructure.
For lower-income communities, where a place of worship often serves as one of the only stable community anchors, the impact is even more devastating. Losing a church, synagogue or mosque doesn’t just mean losing a place of prayer. It means losing a childcare center, a meeting hall, or a health clinic.
These losses also carry architectural and historical consequences. Many sacred places are among the oldest and most significant buildings in their neighborhoods. They provide beauty and neighborhood character simply by existing in the skyline. Once demolished, they cannot be replaced. Their absence creates physical and emotional gaps in the fabric of cities, altering streetscapes and erasing history.
The preservation and transformation of sacred places is not solely a religious issue. It is an urban planning issue, an economic development issue and a social justice issue. Cities that invest in the sustainability of these buildings will see the benefits ripple through their communities in ways that extend far beyond religious affiliation. The buildings can be shared, repurposed, revitalized and transformed into multi-use centers that continue serving the public, even if congregational memberships are smaller and fewer attend weekly services.
Sacred places have long served as the backbone of their communities. With the right policies and investments, they can continue doing so in new and innovative ways.
The solutions exist. What is needed now is the political will and public awareness to put them into action. For Philadelphia and other cities that pride themselves on being progressive and forward-thinking, this is an opportunity to prove it.