From the Chronicle of Philanthropy: 15,000 Churches Will Close This Year. Each Could Be a Home for Civic Revival
This excerpt has been reposted with permission from The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The full article is available here.
Originally published May 28, 2025.
Written by Ryan Eller and Hollie Russon Gilman.
From the article:
“Inside rural America, regions often overlooked by philanthropy and historically underserved, we are seeing a rise in faith-based organizations responding creatively and opting to transform their spaces to meet the needs of their communities. They are quietly modeling a new civic future — one rooted in local collaboration, shared spaces, and reimagined purpose.
These often-unseen efforts hold powerful lessons for philanthropy to tap into the energy, creativity, and wisdom of people in local communities if they want to find innovative solutions to pressing social challenges. Here are three key lessons emerging from this movement:
Churches can, and should, be civic third places.”