PACT In The News: Columbus Business First - Pastors, property & purpose (may require a subscription)

Sheldon Johnson is executive director of Partners Achieving Community Transformation, or PACT standing in the history Bronzeville Neighborhood.

Article: Columbus Business First - Pastors, property & purpose (may require a subscription)
PACT’s Perspective:
Churches have long been anchors of community life on the Near East Side — shaping the moral, cultural, and civic fabric of Columbus for generations. Today, many of these congregations also hold something deeply valuable: land. Through PACT’s Faith-Based Developers Initiative, local pastors are learning how to transform that land into lasting community benefit.

Led by Executive Director Sheldon Johnson, the initiative equips churches with the tools, partnerships, and financial literacy to approach development with confidence and purpose — bridging the gap between faith and finance. Backed by support from Fifth Third Bank, PACT convened a first-of-its-kind training cohort that included historic congregations such as Shiloh Baptist Church, Second Baptist Church, Union Grove Baptist Church, and Rehoboth Temple Church of God in Christ.

The goal isn’t to turn pastors into developers — it’s to empower them as stewards of their land and legacy, ensuring that future projects reflect both spiritual mission and social impact. This initiative exemplifies how faith-based organizations can play a transformative role in advancing affordable housing and community revitalization while protecting the heritage that defines the Near East Side.