By John Cleghorn
Westminster John Knox Press, 200 pgs
Published October 15, 2024
“The church is not the building.
The church is not a steeple.
The church is not a resting place.
The church is a people.”
This verse from the Avery and Marsh Sunday school classic proclaims what we all know about church buildings. Yet even with that knowledge, faith communities often hold fast to their physical structures. The places we gather to worship, learn, serve and meet can become as much of a part of our identity as the ways we are present in the lives of our communities. So much so, that physical structures can become things to maintain rather than resources for ministry.
John Cleghorn turns that idea on its head, as he recounts his experience with the disciples at Caldwell Presbyterian Church and their audacious journey to create affordable on-campus housing. During my tenure as pastor of Arlington Presbyterian Church in Virginia, the congregation traveled a similar road to see our building as a resource, not just a structure. Cleghorn highlights the Arlington story, describing the now-existing Gilliam Place — an affordable/mixed-use housing development where the church building once stood. He has immersed himself in the stories of similar journeys, in which people of faith have re-envisioned their use of land and buildings. Anyone who has been down this path knows these decisions are not made lightly or overnight. In his conversation with other leaders and in recounting his own experience, Cleghorn gives voice to the challenges and opportunities, as well as the excitement, of leading a congregation on this journey.
Building Belonging is part memoir, part history and part “how to.” Cleghorn describes his own role and his congregation’s decision-making process. He also offers a history of Caldwell’s hometown, Charlotte, North Carolina. At first glance, this may seem unnecessary; however, as he recounts how the city came to be and how housing decisions were made, the purpose of the history lesson becomes clear. With their concern for affordable housing in Charlotte coupled with their relationship with “the ladies” (residents of the shelter for single women housed in their education building), the Caldwell disciples respond to the city’s great need by recognizing that their land is valuable for reasons other than their own use.
Context is paramount; churches do not repurpose land simply because it has become unwieldy to maintain or no longer fits the community gathered. There must be a deeper reason; faith communities that ask “why?” find much of the response in Scripture and our theological foundations. As Reformed Christians, we worship a God with definite ideas of what land is, how it is to be used and who owns it. Cleghorn’s attention to Scripture and theology is one of Building Belonging’s strengths, offering an excellent springboard for conversation around the biblical and theological underpinnings of land.
As more faith communities begin to reimagine their physical plants as assets for ministry, Cleghorn’s work provides inspiration, encouragement and insight. Caldwell chose to house their neighbors, while other congregations may respond in different ways, yet all who hear the call to repurpose their property will find a welcome companion in Building Belonging.
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