The American church needs to get rid of some buildings. In some places, we need to dump a lot of them.
This isn’t as cynical as it may sound.
Ridding ourselves of buildings isn’t the same as closing churches. In fact, if we do this right it can be a small, but vital step in moving the church forward and helping many congregations find new life again.
The (Former) Bible Belt
In many parts of Europe and America (sometimes still called the Bible Belt), there are communities with an abundance of churches.
Here’s an example.
One day, Shelley and I were traveling through a southern US state with another pastoral couple. As we passed a county marker he told us, “this is one of the most heavily-churched counties anywhere. The population on the sign says 45,000, and we have more than 50 churches here.”
“You mean 50 churches of all denominations,” I asked, “or just of your denomination?”
“Just ours,” he said. And his denomination, although heavily represented in the part of the country, is not a large one.
“How are they doing?” I asked. “Can they sustain themselves?”
“A few of them are doing well,” he answered, “but most are struggling to keep the lights on, let alone pay a pastor or actually reach the community.”
Structured From A Previous Era
This plays out in a lot of American towns and counties, just as it did a couple centuries ago in Europe.
Back then, most people traveled to church on foot or by horse, so small buildings over a short distance made sense. It doesn’t make sense anymore.
In many places, the work we’re putting in to keep churches open isn’t because of the mission, it’s because we can’t say goodbye to the buildings.
I have no problem with the fact that there are a lot of churches with only a handful of people in them. I’m the small-church guy, after all. The people in every church are always worth the time and effort.
But empty buildings? Not so much.
In my book, The Church Recovery Guide, I wrote an entire chapter about how to get ahead of this issue and save ministries and ministry resources. Here are those points, which are more true today than when I wrote it five years ago.
But I won’t kid you. This won’t happen without some painful decisions.
Option 1: Give It to a Healthy Church that Needs Space
There’s a frustrating reality that’s playing out almost everywhere I go in North America. Communities with a bunch of dying churches that own old buildings with unsustainable mortgages, alongside healthy, thriving churches of all sizes with no place to meet. Problem, meet solution.
Instead of watching your property get chiseled away, sold by the bank, or torn down and turned into condos or a mini-mall, you can participate in the joy of seeing it supercharge a healthy, but needy ministry.
Option 2: Sell the Property and Donate the Proceeds
The earlier you do this, the more you’ll get from it.
Option 3: Sell the Property to Another Ministry at a Huge Discount
Sell it to another church for the amount of your debt. Most ministries would be happy to assume the debt as the final sale price.
Option 4: Invite Other Ministries to Share the Use (And the Bills) of Your Property
Other churches and ministries can use your property during your empty hours. They’ll get a blessing, your church gets help paying the bills, and the property gets used for more ministry.
Option 5: Partner with Another Church as a Multi-Site Campus
If your reaction to multi-site is to bristle about it being a “takeover” by another bigger church, I get it. I’ve seen some predatory behavior, too. But that’s actually rare. Most multi-site churches truly want to help.
Talk with them before refusing to consider it. There may be a lot more good news there than you realize.
Option 6: Say Farewell, then Give the Building to a Church Plant
Yes, a lot of churches will close in the next few years. But we can pay it forward by giving church plants a place to meet.
(Photo by Dan Keck | Flickr)
