Church leaders across the world including Jamaica are being urged to reimagine the future of their church buildings, as a global wave of church property transitions intensifies. According to the book Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition, as many as 100,000 church-owned buildings worldwide may be sold or repurposed by 2030. While Saturday and Sunday attendance in some regions has rebounded partially from the COVID-19 pandemic, decades-long declines in participation have left many congregations struggling to maintain underutilized and costly properties around the world.
A report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research highlights that the financial pressures on churches have only worsened in the post-pandemic economy. Jamaican churches, many of which are pillars of their communities, are not immune to these challenges. The upkeep of large sacred spaces, rising costs, and years of deferred maintenance have left many congregations grappling with…
