Experts project an estimated 100,000 churches in the US will close or be repurposed over the next decade.
Many churches will be unable to escape this “tsunami” of closings — a grim trajectory one pastor described as, “Every year the pews are getting emptier and the collection plates getting lighter.”
Less churches = less pastors (especially youth pastors) = less children being raped. At least i hope that’s how the math works out.
Always time to become a Scout Leader!
Scamming too much out of communities on the weekdays to keep bringing in that sweet weekend scam money too.
I would say “good”, but I’m sure this will somehow not affect megachurches
It’ll probably increase attendance at (and payments to) the megachurches as the smaller community churches close and people who can’t face life without a church look for a new place to go.
Waow church capitalism
I keep thinking about all that property and buildings already there and people being hungry for third spaces and how I could start some kind of movement that was like open source for software but something for third spaces and done as non-profit.
Something that could host things like makerspaces, quilting groups, book exchanges, swap meets, reading clubs, game day/nights, still rent out for meetups and even weddings/wakes, things like that.
Seems to me that people are dying for third spaces that don’t involve having to cough up money just to be somewhere that is not home, school, or work.
And many people don’t want to be involved in a church per se.
I mean, churches already can do this.
Instead of being the boring place you have to go on Sunday, they’d do what you’re talking about.
Who wants fellowship in the most uncomfortable setting there is?
Cool it with all the pious bullshit, unpucker ye olde asshole and maybe some people might drop in. I cannot think of a more obsolete entity than the current church. Boring, stodgy, judgy, unpleasant. Big fucking surprise nobody is interested.
I think it’d be incredibly hard to have them revamp things from the inside. Suppose a pastor/minister/preacher wants to do something like that and subtract the “branding” of churches being really boring, stodgy, and often problematic (pedos)? Might be really tough to pull that off, and they’d still be a church in the end. I think most people would still nope out.
I’m thinking of using the same locations and turning them into some kind of super community center. Maybe even combine it with low-cost daycare and being a nexus of after-school activities. It’s mostly just a pipe dream, but honestly, I think the right kind of effort/people doing this could have this sweep the nation, under some kind of commonly-recognized naming/branding.
Especially after social media, Covid lockups, AI psychosis, etc…I really do think people of all ages have a real thirst for a physical third place where everyone could find their thing and just be in meatspace with others.
I always see Meetups that lose their location due a business closing or moving or no longer having an employee from the Meetup working there, etc. This could be another way something like this could fill the gap - offer that space for rent at deep discounts such that Meetups could afford it. Add in things like food drives and pantries and bingo nights, etc… to round out the calendar so there is always something to do, and it won’t seem to be some anemic thing of the past.
Finally some good news
Agreed, except this is mostly going to be small community churches and not the predatory megachurches that are much more problematic.
Yes and no. Small churches still produce large numbers of folks who disbelieve in science and medicine.
As more people abandon organized religion, perhaps more of them will decide science is peachy. Maybe. Possibly.
What about Unitarian Universalism?
Turn them into homeless shelters or community centers so they can actually help the people!!!
sieze OLSTEENS OPULENT church and turn it into a shelter.
That thing could house so many people but he wouldn’t even open it up for a hurricane. Barf.
Shouldn’t they have already been these things? Im no Bible pro but I feel like Jesus would have wanted that.
You would think right…
One of the many failures that have led them down this path.
People quit believing in fairy tales and magical sky wizards, people quit paying for the god and pony show.
i think people will stock flock to megachurches, as thiers more people to confirm thier biases.
crossroads is also where they make deals with a demon.
uplifting news!
Hell yeah
is this still true of the mega churches?
Repurpose them as community centers
Probably not
Won’t someone think of the children?! They aren’t going to molest themselves.
