Research and resources
Start here if you want language, research, stories, and tools to help your church think more clearly about land, buildings, justice, belonging, and faithful use.
Some resources are academic. Some are practical. Some are useful for church leaders preparing a conversation with a committee, council, parish, synod, or leadership team.
You do not need to read everything. Choose the path that meets the question you are carrying now.
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The library
These resources are here to support the conversation, not overwhelm it. Start with the resource closest to your current question. You can return for more depth as the conversation grows.
Showing 4 of 18 resources
Traces the Dutch Reformed Church's land holdings from the colony to the present — a case study in how church property carries political history.
The DRC's 1998 internal inventory recorded over 600 properties and 14,000 hectares of land — and was acknowledged as incomplete.
A 64-year case study of one Cape Town parish's quiet, sustained acts of spatial justice through apartheid and beyond.
Spatial justice is rarely a single decision. It is decades of small acts that change what a parish becomes.
A 2024 case study of how one Khayelitsha pastor responded to the pandemic — repurposing an abandoned church building for community aid when the original quarantine-site plan ran out of resources.
A practical demonstration of inclusive spatial planning at the level of a single congregation, in one of South Africa's largest townships.
Yeast City Housing's Thusanang project in Tshwane — one of South Africa's longest-running church-land social housing partnerships.
Concrete proof that ground-leased church land can deliver inner-city affordable housing while keeping the title deed in the church's name.
If you are trying to choose the right resource for your church, start with the discernment tool or send us a short note about your context. We can help you find the most useful starting point.
