Last week, The CommNS kicked off our Spring Semester 2026 CommUniversity sessions with a panel discussion on Faith-Based Organizations as community anchor points, which often offer support to communities which go well beyond worship, and which often hold a special and valuable level of trust and connection with community members. Our panelists, representing the greater Detroit area and Wisconsin, shared valuable insights from their vast collective professional experience. Check out some of their insights below:
This session has also been recorded on our YouTube channel!
Charles Williams II, a MSW MDiv and PhD candidate at the University of Michigan and Pastor of the King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, spoke on churches struggling for survival in urban communities. Charles noted that the assumption that all churches have the same resources and circumstances is wrong, and that is why some churches survive and some may not. Williams urged for recognition of WEB DuBois’s notion of churches as social centers and spaces for meeting basic needs and obtaining critical support, political, social, and economic learning, and uplifting. Churches with a more inward focus may have limited relational ties to the greater community, and eventually, these institutions could be constrained when adaptation is necessary. Many faith-based organizations have innovated to meet urgent moments, including the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting and adapting programming to include timely public engagement, youth development, and health clinics. These community-facing organizations tend to survive and serve critical community purposes as they expand outward, a mediator between marginalized societies and civil systems.
Rev. Breanna Illéné is the Director of Ecumenical Innovation & Justice Initiatives at the Wisconsin Council of Churches, with a membership which spans many traditions, small and large, within Wisconsin. Breanna touched on churches and houses of worship as centers for justice and community care, giving examples of ministries such as clothing closets, food pantries, and mutual aid support. She also noted that many faith based organizations are active within justice work, creating a robust group of people who show up in democracy work, human rights initiatives, and disaster relief. She also noted that people are involved in churches as a way to engage and serve in community, even when they do not attend worship or church services, as churches often offer an accessible range of opportunities for volunteer and community engagement. Pastor Illéné encouraged us to think about what it would look like if churches and houses of worship were embraced and developed to lean even further into the role of a safe place of refuge where community needs can be met, acknowledging varying comfort levels among community members with religion and religious organizations.
Ahmed J. Quereshi is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, which is made up of various faith-based organizations and leaders. A core aspect of the IFC’s work and impact is fostering respect, connection, and collaboration across faith leaders and groups. The IFC works to promote interfaith understanding, networking and community resources, developing resource guides for faith-based supports, and working together on consensus-based statements related to current events related to human rights and other ethical concerns. Quereshi emphasized that a version of the “The Golden Rule” exists in many faiths in some way, tying together faith traditions with this foundational value of treating others the way we would want to be treated, and practicing community care for the greater, shared good.
Parry Singh, a Community Leader at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, noted the importance of faith based organizations in connecting people, and being a space for exploration, learning, and grounding in values. . Parry also stated the importance of spreading peace, love, and equality, to form resilient communities. Parry also shared about the way his congregation relied on and lived these values in the wake of the horrific mass shooting tragedy that occurred in their temple and took the lives of their members in 2012. Since that time, the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin has become known as a profound source of welcoming, leadership, and generosity among Wisconsinites. Sharing a Sikh saying translating to “we are all one” or “we are first human beings,” Parry encouraged bringing people together, and figuring out how we can have a more peaceful, democratic America that can still come together amidst differences. Some potential strategies he noted were strengthening civic infrastructure and partnering with other c3 organizations.
The panel at large also addressed the following questions:
Where do you think we are as a society when it comes to the public sector recognizing faith-based organizations, considering the role these organizations play in communities and potential critiques?
Quereshi noted having strong connections with the Mayor of Milwaukee and nonprofit organizations in the greater Milwaukee area is a big help, and that The IFC seems to have a good open door in the ways of programming. Government-funded efforts and subgranting can also be a good point of connection.
Williams stated that there are a lot of coordination and connections with faith-based organizations in greater Detroit, based on the recognition that churches and other faith-based organizations have critical connections to the community that are needed when addressing the most pressing challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic opened up collaborative opportunities for faith-based organizations to formally help their communities (testing and clinics, for example). There remains opportunity for these types of collaborations to be more sustainable and thoughtful, focused on impact for the long term.
Illéné noted a range of ways that faith-based organizations are doing critical infrastructural work in Wisconsin, including on-site clinics, providing critical support for community members in rural communities with few anchor institutions, and providing support (poll chaplains) as communities navigate growing complexity and tension with elections. This work often intersects with other sectors, including collaborations with United Way, which brings the sectors together.
How are you seeing the engagement of the youth population change or affect your organizations’ work?
Singh said it is challenging to help the youth practice their faith, especially away from their countries, where people may not understand their faith or the important symbols of it, including wearing turbans, for example. He noted that it really helps to answer young people’s questions, teaching them it’s ok to be different. Having teachers read books in class to teach classmates about young people’s faiths is a great way to promote understanding. The hope is that younger generations will see faith as a way to learn how to be better citizens, have goals in life, and respect elders.
Quereshi noted that there have been increases in memberships over the last few decades in Muslim populations because the Wisconsin Muslim population was simply so small just a little while ago. Many Christian and other groups report that membership in congregations is declining however, mirroring a national trend; however, they also report that donations to their organizations are increasing at the same time.
Williams stated that opportunities for engagement with a congregation from Monday to Saturday have become more important, as attending services on Sunday seems to be less common for the younger generations, even those who are otherwise enthusiastic about their faith. There is excitement for and high participation in service opportunities such as Thanksgiving and soup kitchen ministries. He also noted studies into mega-churches (which often do not have as much community-based service opportunities) and how they are generally declining, especially after COVID.
Illéné said there is a bit of a controversial history with the church, and stigma, which can be a challenge with connecting with younger generations. On the other hand, however, churches also have a lot of parallels with nonprofits that they don’t always think about, and can work to be welcoming and inclusive.
How can churches or faith-based organizations overcome stigma that might be felt among community members?
Illéné noted the importance of approaching with humility. Sometimes trauma is deep, and healing can sometimes happen through deep relationship building. She states that continuing to show up and be there- getting to know people as people and offering something of value – is the best way, and being ready to accept that sometimes those connections won’t happen and faith-based organizations are not for everyone.