Minister for Church Legacy and Renewal, Application Close: September 30, 2026

GENERAL PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The United Church of Christ Church Building and Loan Fund (CB&LF) has assisted faith leaders with the financing and development of church-owned real estate since 1853. Recently, CB&LF founded a wholly owned affiliate, Amistad Redevelopment Corporation (ARC) _now certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI)_ to attract new financial resources and provide technical assistance to churches that want to repurpose their properties for mission-aligned real estate uses like affordable housing, schools, healthcare and other community facilities.

The Minister for Church Legacy and Renewal will work with Conferences, Associations and local congregations to equip them for sustainable renewal and bold missional impact. S/he will a) help stable and growing congregations increase missional impact, b) support closing congregations to preserve their enduring legacies, and c) help faith-based institutions of all kinds to align their real estate and other strategic assets with the mission and values of the United Church of Christ to achieve measurable transformation. This position will advance the UCC core values of strengthening the church, reshaping the narrative, leadership development, and decolonization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist stable and growing congregations to increase missional impact through new and existing education and training offered by CB&LF, Love of Church and other sources.
• Continuing the work of the UCC Church Legacy and Closure initiative, work with UCC Conferences, the Council of Conference Ministers (CCM), Associations, congregations and clergy to assist and support closing congregations to preserve their enduring legacies and discern mission-aligned real estate disposition strategies.
• Coordinate the creation of a comprehensive digital and physical UCC Real Estate and Strategic Assets resource, offering best practices for managing, deploying, and preserving church real estate and other strategic assets in alignment with UCC mission and values.
• Champion a “Theology of Mission” collaborating with CB&LF staff to create trainings and narratives that empower local church leaders to view every physical asset as a platform for justice and community renewal.
• Facilitate access to Love of Church resources, providing healthy congregations with the tools to decolonize their assets and strengthen their community presence.
• Develop a "Legacy Sustainability Model" to ensure that the financial and missional "DNA" of concluding congregations is preserved.
• Collaborating with CB&LF/ARC’s Senior Data Analyst, and CARD (Center for Analytics, Research, and Data) document research on closing UCC congregations to discern significant patterns, inform the support and training needed for pastors serving declining congregations, and highlight narratives of hope and strategic transformation.
• Facilitate UCC-wide communication, working with Marketing & Communications; (MarCom), to promote and share legacy and renewal resources UCC News and other media outlets.
• Other duties as assigned.