economy and heritage
Thousands of historic churches across North America are closing.
Can innovative financial strategies make a difference?
Can innovative financial strategies make a difference?
Across Canada, ten thousand churches are slated to close within the next decade, which is more than a third of the churches currently owned by denominations. The situation is especially acute in Quebec. In urban areas, historic churches provide valuable places for community organizations, non-profits, and cultural events, but, as congregations dwindle, they are quickly being sold and rezoned for private development.
With more than 350 historic churches, Montreal is a vital centre for experiments with innovative solutions. This ongoing research project, undertaken with Sam Victor, focuses on St Jax, a downtown Anglican parish, and its associated non-profit, Trinity Centres Foundation. The St Jax-TCF team aims to bring new financial models to bear, which combine social impact financing, real estate investment trusts, and Quebec's unique law of social economy (loi de l'économie sociale). Working alongside municipal workers and heritage professionals, albeit with somewhat different ends in mind, St Jax and TCF are trying to reinvigorate Christianity's role as a partner for social good within a putatively secular city.
Our research asks how social and economic value is generated, and how different stakeholders make sense of the close entanglement of private/public and religious/secular.
With more than 350 historic churches, Montreal is a vital centre for experiments with innovative solutions. This ongoing research project, undertaken with Sam Victor, focuses on St Jax, a downtown Anglican parish, and its associated non-profit, Trinity Centres Foundation. The St Jax-TCF team aims to bring new financial models to bear, which combine social impact financing, real estate investment trusts, and Quebec's unique law of social economy (loi de l'économie sociale). Working alongside municipal workers and heritage professionals, albeit with somewhat different ends in mind, St Jax and TCF are trying to reinvigorate Christianity's role as a partner for social good within a putatively secular city.
Our research asks how social and economic value is generated, and how different stakeholders make sense of the close entanglement of private/public and religious/secular.
This project is part of MUREL (municipalités, religions, laïcité), a multi-researcher collaboration led by Solange Lefebvre (Université de Montréal). Our team consists of Hillary Kaell (PI), Sam Victor (Post-doc), Alexandre Duceppe-Lenoir (PhD), Sophie Ji (MA).
Photo credit: Bon Secours church, Montreal, 1930. Les archives de Montreal.