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.
You do know that the vast majority of libraries have events going on every week? From dozens of book clubs through movie clubs. Heck, my local library had a troupe of mongolian gymnasts come through that was ridiculously fun.
Libraries are way more a public forum than churches ever will be. Go to any bible belt church in the south wearing a rainbow and you likely won’t even be let in through the front door. Or walking in with the wrong color skin.
I cannot speak for the South, but I do see that quite a few churches in Colorado seem to have prominent signs outside saying “EVERYONE is welcome” etc.
I imagine like Scouts of America, many churches have to adapt or die. But Colorado is definitely not the South…
sure. but how long are they welcome for? And how much do you need to align your culture and beliefs and how act and talk and dress, and even sway to the music, to stay welcome?
Even in churches that supposedly celebrate diversity… there will always be some sort of overriding homegenousness. Even if it starts with “we recognize the value in people different from us”, anyone who doesn’t gets asked to leave; and it’s just a different kind of sameness.
Oh, of course, but I’d say that holds true for so many institutions. Just try to truly be yourself on the job, for example… LOL.
But yeah. This is probably why I don’t go to church.
No. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Maybe if you’re in a city? My local rural library does jack shit, it just has a few shelves and a computer lab. That’s not community, not the way the local rural church is with soup kitchens and holiday events.
Skill issue. The local library in my home town does a readalong every weekend and a bunk fund every month.