As America becomes increasingly dominated by people who say “none” when asked about their religion, the properties owned by churches are being sold. In 2019, Protestant church closures exceeded new church openings. Some estimate that more than 100,000 church properties will be sold by 2030. This data comes from a book titled Gone For Good by Mark Elsdon and was gathered from Protestant churches. We have not been able to get data for Catholic churches, but we see similar activity in our area.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is a sign of the times. The Church during the first century did not own property. All of the Church’s donated money went to feed and clothe the poor, not investing in real estate or the cost of a building. Acts 2:42-47 describes the early Christians using existing physical structures like the temple for meeting together and describes Church activity as operating from their homes. In today’s world, small groups meeting in homes have become an effective way for the Church to fulfill its mission. The costs of building, maintaining, heating, cooling, and decorating a physical structure are poor uses of donated money.
The donations that allow this ministry to exist mainly come from individuals who see how much can be achieved without spending money on church properties. Part of the “Restoration Movement” involves changing how and where to meet for worship. When young people see what the Bible actually says about Christian worship, they will free the church from dependence on buildings and focus more on serving the disadvantaged. This change is already happening in many places and is the wave of the future.
— John N. Clayton © 2025
Reference: Gone for Good?: Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition by Mark Elsdon © 2024
