Faith Church has retained the consulting services of Partners for Sacred Places to assist in executing our vision.
In 1989, a coalition of leaders from the religious, philanthropic, and historic preservation communities founded Partners for Sacred Places. Since its founding, Partners has distinguished itself as the only nonsectarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to the stewardship and active community use of older sacred places across America. At the intersection of faith, heritage, and community, Partners’ mission is to build a shared sense of responsibility for the future of sacred places. Partners has become a major presence in over thirty cities and states, building the capacity and sustainability of more than 1,000 community-serving congregations and working intensively with almost 4,000 clergy and lay leaders. In two decades, Partners has provided training, technical assistance, and grants to several thousand congregations and other local organizations, representing the needs and concerns of over 100,000 older, community-serving places in towns and cities across the United States.
In addition to grass roots work in communities, Partners continues its advocacy work on the local and national stages, persuading individuals, foundations, and government to free up additional resources for older houses of worship. When Partners was founded in the late 1980s, the philanthropic community and federal government shied away from support for historic sacred places. Partners argued that preserving the exterior of a church building did not promote religion as much as it preserved a community asset. Partners continuing research and programming focuses on identifying, promoting, and maximizing the role that congregations play in the civic fabric of their communities. Through their advocacy and work, sacred spaces are used and valued as the social service hubs, arts venues, community centers, and gathering places that are essential to the vibrancy of any and all neighborhoods.
Their research and work in communities across the country show that houses of worship face the effects of constrained budgets and deferred maintenance. However, with the right support and stakeholders, buildings can be buttressed and congregations can continue and expand their role in neighborhoods. Partners for Sacred Places is committed to working with houses of worship across the country in creative and collaborative ways. Partners also fosters new and stronger relationships between stakeholders in the faith, philanthropic, preservation, and academic sectors. They assist congregations in opening their doors to the community, and in turn, we help the community see the social, cultural, and economic value of investing in their local sacred places.
