After church closes, ‘Resurrected Life’ emerges — vision-filled renovations bring hope to community

The Rev. Dr. Gregory James Edwards is the first to tell you that his is not a wealthy church. There are no endowments for Resurrected Life Community Church (UCC) to rest comfortably upon.

The church, though, he says, is still rich — in vision and the belief that all things are possible with God.

This past June, Resurrected Life in Allentown, Pennsylvania, officially celebrated its 2023 acquisition and subsequent 2024 renovations of Zion Reformed United Church of Christ.

Resurrected Life acquired the 200-plus-year-old Gothic building — its steeple looming above Allentown’s epicenter of justice and governance — after Zion’s leadership realized the historic church was not going to rebound after emerging from the Covid pandemic.

Zion Reformed, a predominately white congregation, closed its doors in 2022, offering it then to the Black led, multiethnic Resurrected Life congregation for a dollar.

The purchase of the building was not just a good deal, it was “prophetic,” said Edwards, who is senior pastor of Resurrected Life.

“Our mission is one of racial and economic justice,” he said, noting how powerful it is to now be located steps from the city’s courthouse.

Prophecy aside, there is also a tinge of poetic justice coloring Resurrected Life’s story.

Following the 2020 shooting of George Floyd, Edwards, who is also a community organizer, led a protest calling out the complicity of white silence in the struggle to dismantle systemic racism.

Five hundred gathered at Resurrected Life and then marched onward to Zion Reformed, where, on the church steps, white clergy made allocutions for their role in fostering racial injustices.

Investing in the community

On Juneteenth this year, Resurrected Life members and friends of the community walked up those very same steps of the stalwart stone building celebrating a new beginning of mission and ministry. It was a celebration that was all Holy Spirit — and part funding help from the UCC’s Church Building & Loan Fund.

CB&LF played a pivotal role in Resurrected Life’s vision, not only financing its million dollar renovation, but also refinancing the church’s mortgage four year, “decreasing it significantly,” said Edwards.

The work, though, not over for Resurrected Life as the pastor says a multi-million project commenced this fall. (You can read more on Resurrected Life’s story of transformation in the July 23 edition of UCC News.)

Church buildings can be transformed

Church redevelopment is possible for all congregations, not just those with “resurrection” in their names.

This fall, CB&LF’s online training series, “Partners in Building” will offer a two-day, online event, “Thinking Differently: Church + Community Transformation,” which will delve into the missional value of church property.

Held on Sept. 26 and 27, “Thinking Differently” will feature workshops and speakers addressing creative, innovate, spirit-led ways to make sacred spaces communal ones. Other topics include effective virtual worship, building a legacy after church closure, and addressing affordable housing needs. Attendees will also be able to talk and discuss their church goals with loan advisors and capital campaign consultants.

“These are people invested in helping churches transform their communities and legacies. They’re excited to provide a roadmap to allow church leaders to achieve their visions for transformation,” said Patrick Duggan, CB&LF executive director.

For more information, or to register, click here. Early bird registration of $65 ends July 31. Webinar registration closes Sept. 24.

---

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.