ABSTRACT
Congregations throughout the United States are in transition. Many Mainline Protestant congregations can no longer sustain aging, purpose-built buildings while also living out mission and vision; as a result, they are selling their buildings. Further, rising real estate values in American cities have catalyzed the movement of congregations out of the communities they have historically served and once reflected.
This chapter examines the factors that contribute to congregational vulnerability and resilience—and the effect on the greater built environment. Data and anecdotes from Philadelphia and Lancaster, which have religious building stocks in different stages of transition, illustrate the change already seen and likely to be seen elsewhere.
