Are Taxes Distracting Us from Bigger Church Property Issues? with Rev. Dr. Patrick G. Duggan

This week, Shannon Hopkins and Rev. Mark Elsdon continue their takeover of the Igniting Imagination podcast with guest Rev. Dr. Patrick G. Duggan. Shannon, Mark, and Patrick delve into the transformative potential inherent in church property, emphasizing a missional approach to its use. Patrick articulates the necessity of aligning financial strategies with the overarching mission of the church and shares various case studies that exemplify how churches across the nation are creatively leveraging their assets to foster community engagement and human flourishing. 

Listen as we shed light on the pathways that help churches navigate the complexities of real estate, while staying true to their core mission of service and love within their neighborhoods. 

Co-Hosts

Shannon Hopkins is Co-Founder of Rooted Good and a Locke Innovative Leader. She is an extreme networker and social entrepreneur living in East London. Her passion for community and individual transformation has launched or influenced the formation of fifteen campaigns, projects, and organizations — and trained over 200 social entrepreneurs. In 2008, Shannon was awarded the Women of the UN and UK’s Annual Woman of Peace Award for The Truth isn’t Sexy, a campaign that addressed the demand side of human trafficking. 

Rev. Mark Elsdon is Co-Founder and Lead Builder of Rooted Good. He lives and works at the intersection of money and meaning as an entrepreneur, nonprofit executive, author, and speaker. He is the author of We Aren't Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry (2021) and editor of Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition (2024). In addition to his role as a Director with RootedGood, Mark is also Executive Director at Pres House, where he led the transformation of a dormant non-profit into a growing, vibrant, multi-million dollar organization.

Guest

Rev. Dr. Patrick Garnet Duggan is an authorized minister in the United Church of Christ, and has served as Executive Director of the UCC Church Building and Loan Fund (CB&LF) since 2012. Founded in 1853, CB&LF is the first national church building society in the United States. The Fund offers loans, capital campaigns, and consulting services for the financing and redevelopment of real estate owned by UCC and other Christian churches in the United States.

A native New Yorker (now living in North Carolina), Dr. Duggan earned a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, and both Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from New York Theological Seminary. Dr. Duggan and his wife Patricia, a retired school administrator, have three adult sons and four grandchildren.

Episode Highlights 

• Mission over mere profitability: navigating the complexities of property development and tax considerations.
• Reconsidering the purpose of church properties in light of community needs, advocating for creative reimagining of these spaces.
• Encouraging churches to maintain a focus on mission, underscoring the importance of community connection and social impact.
• Seeking external expertise in finance and property development; collaboration is key to maximizing impact.

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(01:51) Shannon and Mark’s intro to the episode

(06:06) Interview with Rev. Dr. Patrick G. Duggan

(42:27) Rev. Dr. Patrick G. Duggan answers rapid-fire questions

Links

Visit our show’s website at www.ignitingimagination.org.

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