Churches fight to stay open as attendance dwindles
abcnews.go.com
Churches faced with empty pews are fighting to keep their doors open, while former houses of worship are being converted into bars, clubs and luxury condos.

Summary

Churches across the U.S. are grappling with dwindling attendance and financial instability, forcing many to close or sell properties.

The Diocese of Buffalo has shut down 100 parishes since the 2000s and plans to close 70 more. Nationwide, church membership has dropped from 80% in the 1940s to 45% today.

Some churches repurpose their land to survive, like Atlanta’s First United Methodist Church, which is building affordable housing.

Others, like Calcium Church in New York, make cutbacks to stay open. Leaders warn of the long-term risks of declining community and support for churches.

  • xmunk
    25·
    11 days ago

    Personally, I’m anti Christianity because I grew up in Boston and there was a massive conspiracy to protect pedophiles… also because it’s strongly related to the pro-life movement… also because a Christian school rejected my stepson with extreme special needs because my partner “wasn’t the right kind of Christian”… also because Christians are slow to denounce other Christians (anyone who doesn’t consider Westboro Baptist a hate group can get fucked)… also because a lot of Christians feel the need to make everyone else Christian too… also because Churches don’t deserve tax breaks… also because a huge number Christians repeatedly voted for Trump because he was “The most Godly candidate”… also because they’re trying to take over America… also because a good chunk of them applaud the genocide in Gaza… also because a lot of the large churches deny climate change…

    Fuck man, I could keep going.

    I know an alcoholic who got clean through Christianity - I’m happy he cleaned up his life. In the grand balance of things though Christianity is so fucking deep into being a net harm. But, you’re correct about one thing - it’s hardly a monolith. I was raised in a UCC congregation and those folks are pretty alright. Our church had an official statement condemning bigotry and embracing gay and other LGBT+ folks in the early nineties. You’d be hard to find a fault in the above list that applied to that congregation…

    But in this case the bathwater is so toxic that it’s worth throwing out the baby with it.