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.

  • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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    9 days ago

    Okay, but that community also kept me from being homeless as a child. I got to eat food when otherwise I wouldn’t.

    We need to replace it, we can’t just let community die with nothing in its place.

      • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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        9 days ago

        Neither my local library nor school has a weekly get together where we all hang out and talk.

        Also, uh, not everyone has kids. Do they not deserve community?

        • JovialMicrobial@lemm.ee
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          9 days ago

          My local library has weekly reading days, crochet club, adult focused book clubs, and regular events.

          But the thing is that people in the community helped start those things. If your library doesn’t have any you should probably talk to them about starting something. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to be involved and increase the amount of people that visit!

        • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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          9 days ago

          The school was about what you said feeding kids. And yes, a lot of libraries have reservable meeting space now. More should for exactly the reason you are saying. I am agreeing with you about needing to fill the void, and saying we should expand schools and libraries to better and more consistently do that. Currently they probably only do that in blue states.

          • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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            9 days ago

            It sounded like you were telling me that there wasn’t a problem, because schools and libraries exist.

            Schools and libraries aren’t filling the void. They can, if we make them, but it’s not automatic.

            • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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              9 days ago

              Yeah, my bad. They do in some places, and I want them to do so in more. I also would like to reduce thier dependence on local government for funding.

        • Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works
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          8 days ago

          Libraries actually almost always have multiple events a week. You may want to check your local branch out. Also, you’re describing a very extroverted interest.

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        We need more than that. We need places where people go regularly and choose to interact with each other. Church sucks, but seeing your neighbors, engaging in community activities like celebrating births and marriages and holidays and just regularly seeing each other and being reminded of your connections to each other are important. People talk about modern isolation and by giving up community activities and spaces that’s what we get.

        • futatorius@lemm.ee
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          5 days ago

          The fact that churches have captured the commemoration of major life events is part of the problem. Those things shouldn’t have ever been attached to a particular religion or religious denomination, those should be common to the whole community (though some sub-communities might also offer bonus commemorations such as quinceañeras).

    • Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works
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      8 days ago

      That charity likely came from the community, not just the church. In my little town I can’t give money or food to any groups other than churches. So that’s where my money goes, despite not belonging to a church.

      • futatorius@lemm.ee
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        5 days ago

        Yeah, community co-ops do some of that where I’ve lived. And I’ve seen priests and rabbis participate as well. They’re not religious but don’t enforce secularism.

      • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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        8 days ago

        You’re right, and I am not defending the Church. We need ways for the community to express its charity without the church, because the church is dying.

        • Doug Holland@lemmy.world
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          8 days ago

          My daydream is that the building remains open, the community remains welcome, there are helpful lectures on dealing with life’s hassles, and potluck dinners in the basement, and it’s all on a voluntary pay-what-you-can basis — sorta like a church, only without the god.