Our Conferences
Reimagine Conferences aim to shift the narrative of decline around Canada’s church properties into stories of renewal, justice and flourishing neighbourhoods.
Through plenary talks, storytelling, panel discussions, and working group dialogue sessions, the gathering is designed to inspire collaboration, meaningful dialouge, and exploration to new and innovative approaches to church properties.
Join us for conversation, collaboration, and new ideas for renewal, justice, and thriving neighbourhoods. Hear from visionary speakers, changemakers, and leaders who are reimagining what’s possible — be part of the conversation and explore where we can go from here.
Toronto | May 2025
Join us May 13–14, 2025, at Wycliffe College in Toronto for two days of bold conversation on church property, justice, and community flourishing. Featured speakers include theologian Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings, urban planner Jennifer Keesmaat, Rev. Dr. Jason McKinney, and Indigenous elder Adrian Jacobs.
Vancouver | March 2024
In March 2024, over 200 church leaders, property stewards, housing advocates, and visionaries gathered in Vancouver to explore bold new directions for church land and buildings. This second national event deepened the conversation around church redevelopment as a pathway to urban flourishing and justice.
Crieff Hills | April 2023
The inaugural meeting of Reimagining Church, Land, and Community was a two-day gathering held in April 2023 at Crieff Hills Retreat Centre in Puslinch, Ontario. The event invited 32 participants to shift the narrative of church property decline into one of renewal, justice, and neighborhood flourishing.
Halifax | Spring 2026
Our next national gathering will take place in beautiful Halifax (Kjipuktuk). If you’d like to stay connected as plans unfold—early details, key dates, and ways to get involved—leave your name and email below.
About Us
Welcome to the dialogue!
Over the past decade, thousands of churches in Canada have closed, with many sold to the private market. In the coming years, even more churches will face decisions to redevelop, sell, or close. Many church properties are underutilized, and others are becoming burdensome to their congregations, with long lists of deferred repairs and upkeep. Some church communities, however, are awakening to new opportunities to reshape their land and buildings for justice and partnership within their neighbourhoods. Our coalition seeks to support the reimagining of these urban spiritual spaces. We encourage collaboration with diverse stakeholders—urban organizations, municipal planners, Indigenous groups, non-profits, artists, and housing agencies—to transform church assets of land, bricks, and mortar into thriving community spaces.
We aim to shift the narrative of decline around Canada’s church properties into stories of renewal, justice, and flourishing neighborhoods.
The coalition started in the Spring of 2023 and includes nonprofits, social-purpose developers, theologians, community practitioners, property stewards, and church leaders. Five key priorities quickly emerged:
Five Key Priorites
- Building a Network: Forming a coalition to strengthen collaboration.
- Theological Foundations: Developing deeper theological underpinnings for this work that involves our relationships on and to the land, and to each other.
- Indigenous-Settler Reconciliation: Engaging Adrian Jacobs and other elders to integrate this essential thread into church land reimaginings.
- Research and Learning: Supporting research and curriculum projects to grow this sector.
- Future Gatherings: Meeting again, in person, to continue this vial dialogue.
Coalition Outcomes
- Empowering Leaders: Equip church and denominational leaders with the tools and strategies needed to steward, develop, and creatively utilize church properties in proactive and sustainable ways.
- Theological Reframing: Shift perspectives from scarcity to abundance, isolation to community engagement, and the colonial legacy of Christendom to pathways of reconciliation with
- Indigenous peoples and other communities: Embrace land not as a commodity but as a sacred gift meant for communal flourishing.
- Building Bridges: Facilitate meaningful connections between civic leaders and churches, fostering mutual understanding, constructive dialogue, and collaborative opportunities.
- Encouraging Collaboration: Promote greater cooperation across the sector by creating partnerships between churches, consultants, and developers.
- Inspiring Research: Spark research initiatives stemming from the conference that will provide valuable insights and resources for the Church in Canada.
Instigators
Tim Dickau
Tim is the author of Plunging into the Kingdom Way and Forming Christian Community in a Secular Age: Recovering Humility and Hope. In addition to his current role as director of Citygate Vancouver, Tim is also an associate at the Center for Missional Leadership at St. Andrew’s Hall on the UBC campus, where he leads the Certificate in Missional Leadership Program.
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Tim was the pastor of Grandview Church in Vancouver, BC for 30 years. During that time, Grandview Church went from being ready to dissolve to becoming re-established as a force for good in its neighbourhood. In the past three decades, the church has found creative ways to bear witness to the good news of God’s reconciling and restoring love through community living, welcome of the poor and the stranger, economic development through social enterprises, development of a 26-unit community housing project, assisting with the proliferation of the arts, and participating prophetic witness and deepening practices of confession and repentance.
One way of describing this transition is to say they have moved from “going to church to being the church…in and for the neighbourhood.”
David Kupp
David combines his passion for theology and community justice with his love of building sustainable stuff as a project manager for Flourish, a non-profit social-purpose real estate development services. Flourish deploys the 50 years of accumulated experience of Indwell, a leader in building and operating deeply affordable and supportive housing in SW Ontario. David is currently overseeing the restoration of two heritage buildings in London, Ontario, that will together contain 128 deeply affordable, supportive housing units.
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David holds a PhD in Theology from the University of Durham in northern England. He worked for World Vision for over two decades in Canada, East Africa and globally, including six years as the Global Team Leader for Partnering, Citizen Advocacy and Urban Innovation. He went on to serve as professor and director of the Urban Community Development Program at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, for 13 years.
Amanda Mina
After more than 20 years working in a corporate environment, Amanda has shifted focus to work with non-profit groups and churches. In addtion to her work with Citygate, she works with Tim at the Centre for Missional Leadership focusing on communications and tech. Amanda serves on the Leadership Council with Reflector Project, a local non-profit that works to speak about Christian faith in a hopeful, non-divisive way. In addition, she is a producer and occasional voice on the podcast Rector’s Cupboard.
CityGate Vancouver is a faith-based network that supports churches and Christian leaders to engage with the social, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing of the Greater Vancouver region. Through facilitation, learning communities, and collaborative initiatives, CityGate equips churches to discern and respond to the needs of their neighbourhoods. With a deep commitment to the common good, CityGate helps congregations reimagine their presence in the city—rooted in place, connected with local partners, and oriented toward justice and reconciliation.
Collaborators
Anglican Church of Canada – Toronto Diocese
Charis Foundation
Christian and Missionary Alliance
Christian Reformed Church (CRC)
Evangel Hall Mission
Flourish
Indwell Community Homes
Kabisa International
Kindred Works
Knox College – Ministry Forum
Larkin Architect
Mennonite Church Canada
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC)
Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC)
ReImagine: Church, Land, Community
Releven (formerly Trinity Centres Foundation)
Rooted Good
St. Andrew’s Hall – Centre for Missional Leadership
United Property Resource Corporation (UPRC)
Wayfinder Developments (formerly Co:Here Housing)
Wycliffe College – Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research
Resources
Recently added:
How does theology shape church property decisions?
PODCAST | Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings delves into the profound ways theology influences decisions regarding church properties. He challenges listeners to view church buildings not merely as real estate assets but as sacred spaces integral to the church’s mission and community engagement.
A new solution to an old land problem
ARTICLE | Rick Hill’s question to author and community liaison John Diefenbacher-Krall sparked a bold idea: What if churches entered a spiritual covenant with Six Nations—acknowledging Indigenous land rights, offering symbolic lease payments, and returning land when decommissioned? It’s a tangible step toward justice, rooted in Haudenosaunee tradition and lived faith.
More than just housing
ARTICLE | Ainsley Chapman reminds us that affordable housing alone isn’t enough—we must also invest in the spaces that help communities thrive. Churches have long offered room for healing, connection, and care. As redevelopment plans unfold, let’s ensure we’re not trading away the very spaces where community is built. A true legacy isn’t just walls and roofs—it’s relationships, inclusion, and the shared life within.
When grief holds us back from imagining a new future
ARTICLE | Rev. Bob Smith reminds us that change in the church can bring grief—but also sacred possibility. As we face declining attendance and shifting needs, letting go isn’t failure. It’s faith in action. By honouring the past, we create space to reimagine ministry for today’s world and respond with courage to where God is calling us now.
What does it mean to be stewards of our land?
ARTICLE | Rev. Rebecca Jess invites us to rethink how we use the land our churches sit on—not only as places of worship but as seeds for community transformation. As homelessness rises and congregations shift, we’re called to imagine how these spaces might offer real shelter, love, and belonging to our neighbours in need.
Contribute a Resource
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Connect with Us
Reimagining church, land and community is a shared effort—if you’re curious, inspired, or want to know more, let’s connect!
