St. Andrew’s Church, Bangalore Restoration of 156 years old Parish Hall

 Network Leadership: A parish case study

 We are talking about an ‘empirical turn,’ in social sciences.

·       Parish case study at St. Andrew’s Church, Bangalore. A church with over 160 years of history, located in the central business district (CBD) with over 850 families, drawn from different walks of life.

 The story of a parish hall, 156 years old.

Our parish hall had stood since the 1860s. Restoring it was on paper, beyond us. The specialist work alone would have consumed years on budget.

What made it possible was not a grant. It was a network.

A heritage structure recovered without a single paid consultant- carried by volunteers from inside and outside the congregation.

1.      Map the gifts

2.      Invite, don’t recruit

3.      Hand over real authority

4.      Open the circle wider

Who stepped in:

·         Architects

·         Structural engineers

·         Management professionals

·         Chartered accountants

·         Craftsmen

·         Friends of other faiths

 

What makes the network hold

Four habits that sustain:

1.      Know your people

2.      Give real authority

3.      Keep the door open

4.      Be transparent

 The pictures after restoration are presented

Rev. Prof. Dr Dexter S. Maben                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            At The Kerala United Theological Seminary (KUTS)

Kannammoola, Thiruvananthapuram

 

Rev Dr Jacob Verghis Centre for Biblical Studies

Workshop on Christian Leadership

10^th & 11^th August 2026