Local residents and the Catholic order have engaged in a years-long court battle after the church tried to evict them from their ancestral land on the outskirts of the capital Harare. The more than 1,000 families, however, were relieved when a court agreed to halt, for now, a move by the Jesuits to evict them from their land that the church wants to turn into an urban residential area.
Read MoreFaced with declining membership, aging buildings and large, underutilized properties, many U.S. houses of worship have closed their doors in recent years. Presbyterian minister Eileen Linder has argued that 100,000 churches may close in the next few decades. But some congregations are using their land in new ways that reflect their faith
Read More(OPINION) The trend of converting underused houses of worship into affordable housing is sweeping America. The state of California last year passed a law rewarding faith-based organizations that use their surplus properties to build 100 percent affordable housing. Maryland, New York and Virginia are considering the same, and the cities of Atlanta, Pasadena, San Antonio, San Diego and Seattle have passed similar legislation.
Read More(OPINION) While The United Methodist Church debates societal issues — LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter, welcome of refugees and the like — its congregations’ real estate is eating away at the denomination and threatening its viability.
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