Community groups impacted by church closures

it’s not just congregations who gather in churches, and when church buildings close for good it impacts more than those who gather on Sunday mornings. No Space for Community is a report released by a partnership that included Faith & the Common Good, Ontario Nonprofit Network, the City of Toronto, Cardus and the National Trust for Canada. The group surveyed nonprofit and community groups in Ontario that use space in places of worship.

As church buildings permanently close – some estimates indicate more than 9,000 “faith buildings” across

Canada could shutter within ten years – daycares, women’s and seniors’ programs, arts groups, community groups, 12-step groups, foodbanks and more could be left without affordable, accessible meeting space in their communities.

“The survey results have made it clear that faith buildings are host to a myriad of groups including a large number of daycares and arts groups who have their offices and performing spaces in faith buildings,” says Kendra Fry, project lead. “Thirty-eight per cent of survey respondents indicated that they were paying nothing for their spaces in faith buildings, and a large group reported paying minimal amounts.

“These important not-for-profit and community groups cannot afford commercial spaces. If the faith buildings close, what will happen to these groups and the people they bring together?”

Among other recommendations the report suggests governments “recognize the role of faith buildings – both historical and contemporary – in providing physical spaces and building social capital, making them a critical part of a complex ecosystem of local community resources.”

The report describes faith buildings as “neighbourhood hubs that are not easily duplicated or replaced . . . and represent assets in communities which often have deep connections and links in communities beyond the faith community itself.” The full report is available at www.FaithCommonGood.org.

How ministries fared during Covid

A national study from WayBase, an online platform which helps Christian ministries connect and collaborate, evaluated how ministries have managed during the pandemic. Predictably nearly 70 per cent of evangelical beliefs, according to the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey. It evaluated students’ understanding of different world views before and after they completed a four-year degree. Students entering evangelical colleges typically answered fewer questions correctly than those entering secular or Catholic schools. After completing their degree, however, those at evangelical schools had the highest average score. The survey also found students with higher understanding of other world views were more likely to be evangelical, even at secular and public schools.

Antisemitism continues shocking rise