A ‘tsunami’ of church closings is poised to remake America
Experts say declining membership, rising costs and shifting religious habits could leave many congregations without enough people or money to survive.
- Experts project an estimated 100,000 churches in the US will close or be repurposed over the next decade, a trajectory documented in a comprehensive four-part PBS series premiering Thursday featuring closures like Belding United Methodist Church in Michigan.
- Declining trust in institutions, clergy sex-abuse scandals and the rise of 'nones'—those describing their religious beliefs as nothing in particular—have accelerated departures despite about 62% of American adults identifying as Christian and 30% attending church weekly.
- Rev. Melissa Wagner fought back tears announcing the closure of her 120-year-old Belding United Methodist Church to about 12 elderly members, as membership had dwindled below 100 people and the sanctuary cost about $400,000 annually to maintain.
- A new study from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found in-person worship attendance increased for the first time in 25 years, with thriving congregations like Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia expanding to about 10,000 members and about 15,000 online viewers.
- Alternative models show promise: Braddock's congregation stabilized after closing its building to worship in smaller spaces, and the Church Project in Texas meets in members' homes, yet American church leaders fear their country becoming a post-Christian landscape like Western Europe with empty cathedrals.
12 Articles
12 Articles
America Faces a Huge 'Tsunami' of Church Closures as Pastors Note 'Pews Are Getting Emptier' Fast
A four-part PBS documentary explores the potential closure or repurposing of 100,000 US churches, while examining declining attendance, community services and new forms of worship
A ‘tsunami’ of church closings is poised to remake America
By John Blake, CNN (CNN) — One summer morning, the Rev. Melissa Wagner stepped into the pulpit of her church and delivered a sermon that no pastor ever wants to give.Wagner fought back tears as she spoke in her stately United Methodist church that had stood in Belding, Michigan, for 120 years. To celebrate their
A 'tsunami' of church closings is poised to remake America - Schwartzreport
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