Churches in crisis, cities in need
Today churches are in crisis. Plagued by declining numbers of congregants, shifting expectations and methods of worship, and mounting building maintenance costs that far exceed parish budgets, churches face closure and demolition at an alarming rate.
If nothing changes, one third of Canada’s church buildings will close in the next 10 years.
Preserving, restoring
and repurposing
The Trinity Centres Foundation (now Relèven) was established in 2018 as a pan-Canadian charity with the goal of lovingly preserving, restoring and repurposing underutilized churches into dynamic and accessible spaces for dialogue and interaction with different individuals and groups.
Applying a new social business model that generates both societal and economic value, we are committed to enabling churches to continue to bring about positive change, while maintaining a secure financial future. In the process, innovative new ways will be found to deliver services, while advancing social inclusion and revitalizing communities and local neighbourhoods.
Our story
Our story began with gathering Canadian leaders who have been addressing this problem for decades. We connected with experts from the social innovation, urban planning, property, finance, management, accounting, legal, government and faith sectors.
We heard their story:
What we heard was the need for a more radical option.
What we heard is that 10,000 of Canada’s 28,000 church buildings will close within the next 10 years.
What we heard was a call for a secular solution to what began as a faith problem.
What we heard was a frustration at too many band-aid solutions and the need for a totally new strategy for the building of social infrastructure.
What we decided to build was a model that could connect, advise, invest and run the solution: joining with all levels of government, investment funds and social innovators to create a new community hub model for our most strategic buildings.
