How much longer can your church hang on?

Growing up in Burlington, North Carolina, every Sunday, I was in church— Sunday school, worship service, and a youth program later that evening. Illness was the only interruption.

That church, Davis Street United Methodist, is now closed. Congregation voted to shutdown. With declining attendance and financial support, staying open wasn’t logical.

To their credit church leaders did their homework. A buyer for the building was found. Over a period of time, the Davis Street congregation opted to merge with another Methodist church.

Over the last fourteen years, I’ve had the privilege of working at my church, Trinity United Methodist. During that time, I’ve learned a lot about churches.

Whether they want to admit it, churches, no matter their size or status, aren’t immune from wondering how much longer can they hang on.

No question, the pandemic had an impact on churches.

Yet, respected research organizations like Gallup and Pew have been reporting for years that churches were struggling.

Six years past the pandemic, congregations are still challenged to address declining attendance, giving, aging members, and deteriorating buildings.

In March of 2024, Gallup reported: “On any given weekend, about three in 10 U.S. adults attend religious services, down from 42% two decades ago.”

A February 2025 study from the Pew Research Center found some stabilization in their data. However, when looking toward the future, this key point was made: “younger Americans remain far less religious than older adults.”

Daniel Silliman, in Christianity Today, and Francis Wilkinson, in Bloomberg, have written about the possible impact that Donald Trump has made in contributing to the decline of church attendance.

No matter who takes the blame, I wonder how frequently church leaders point the finger of blame back at their own shortcomings?

In the baseball movie, Moneyball, there is a pivotal scene between a rookie executive, who is skilled in player analysis, and the seasoned general manager of the team.

The young executive makes a bold statement: “Baseball thinking is medieval, they are asking all the wrong questions.”

Part of me believes that “church thinking is medieval, they are they asking all the wrong questions.”

I’m no expert on churches. However, in this current environment, I think church leaders and congregations are overdue to ask tough questions. That is the only way to determine their current standing in order to determine a path forward.

Part of me believes that churches would benefit from participating in an accreditation process. That process would require churches on an annual basis to assess key evaluative criteria related to: program offerings, finances, outreach, personnel, facilities, safety, technology, and the ability to make meaningful connections.

Conducting an annual review could potentially help churches in making difficult decisions relate to budgets, personnel, facilities, and the effectiveness of their program offerings.

With a need to attract young families, I think churches often overlook the concept of “discretionary time.” Young families often over extend, they are always on the go.

So, how does a church help young families find a fit that works for them? Can churches develop flexibility in their seemingly inflexible traditional schedules for young families?

How can churches be more welcoming to those exploring churches? On a first visit, a nervous visitor doesn’t need to hear the unwelcoming: “Sorry, sonny, but your sitting in my pew.”

Finding their footing for the future means churches can’t fear change.

Churches must embrace change. The path forward will not be found in producing more predictable sameness. Congregations should consider this question—do you want the autopsy for your church to state: cause of death—stubbornly resistant to change.

And speaking of death, why must a funeral be the time to learn all about a church member? Churches must become stronger in building ‘living’ relationships within and outside the walls of the church.

That means becoming more adept in capturing and sharing significant stories within the congregation and community.

How much longer your church can hang on isn’t up to me.

Hanging on depends on your congregation and its leadership, and the willingness to take some risks.

Here are five simple risks:

Compile all essential data about your church for detailed research and review.

From this review, determine what works and what isn’t working within your church.

Resolve to tell the truth from these findings.

Write a report of findings for the congregation that clearly reveals the challenges and strengths of the church.

Use the report of findings as the pivot point for determining how to move forward.

More church closings are unavoidable.

Maybe that’s why this Og Mandino wisdom keeps coming back to me: “I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the apostles, but a good deal about their acts.”

Churches now is the time to act.