Episcopal church closing its doors

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/religion/714427,CST-NWS-Church27.article

[Chicago Sun Times] 27 Dec 2007--A 129-year-old Episcopal congregation on the South Side will be disbanded after worship Sunday.

Attendance at the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, which is in the Beverly/Morgan Park area, has declined to about 30 people. At its peak, it had 250 members, church leaders said.

Related article:
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/713642,mediatorchurch27.article
Longtime Morgan Park church to close its doors The Southtown Star

A congregation needs at least 200 active members to be "self-gathering." A smaller congregation must be intentional in gathering new members or it will go into decline. Unfortunately few Episcopal congregations are large enough to be self-gathering or intentional enough in their membership recruitment. The older the members of a congregation, the less energy they have for reaching out beyond their existing fellowship and the less likely they have much contacts with the unchurched.