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.

  • friend_of_satan@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    6 days ago

    I guess you were never guilt tripped after being forced to watch Hell’s Bells.

    Also, Chick Tracts were huge in the 80’s and those are not “chill and be a good person” kind of things. Nor is slut shaming. I could go on.

    • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 day ago

      Yeah, I think the experiences vary. I rejected xtianity as dogma very early on, so I would have noticed people trying to push narratives. Yes, there were the kooks and the zealots, but I remember some of those types of churches the other poster mentioned where they’d put on things that were teen and/or family-focused and I’m not sure I remember hearing any god-talk when you’d walk in. Some of them were my friends’ church, some of them were friends of my parents who invited the family over for a potluck in the basement kind of thing…it could be parents would get the pitch, but I was not getting any of that as a kid/teen…

      Then there are the cases where you’d go to some VBS (Vacation Bible School) - I don’t think it went craaaaazy into the pitch, but the religion was definitely there and are projects would involve something with the name of Jesus in it…

    • LimeZest@discuss.tchncs.de
      6·
      6 days ago

      Chick tracts are still around. Someone left this awful one on my car last year after this latest war in Israel and Palestine started up. The short version is it starts with environmental disaster fears over pollution and food shortages and ends with needing a world war against Israel to bring Jesus back from the dead to save our souls.

      https://dn790008.ca.archive.org/0/items/chick-tracts/chick tracts/End times/The Great Escape!_text.pdf