Friday, June 11, 2021

When One Church Door Closes


How God Uses Even Church Closures for His Glory

More churches closed than were planted in 2019 in the United States, according to a Lifeway Research study. Approximately 3,000 Protestant churches were started in the U.S., but 4,500 Protestant churches closed.

Using data analyzed from the Center for Analytics, Research and Data (affiliated with the United Church of Christ), a report from the International City/County Management Association predicts, “Over the 2020s, houses of worship in the United States will be closing like never before.”

The numbers are probably very similar across many parts of the world, especially after enduring the pandemic. A news article from the U.K. states, “The pace of church closures could accelerate as a result of financial losses caused by the pandemic,” and the Church of England may have lost the equivalent to $212 million, suggesting that “the number of parishes and bishops could be drastically reduced.”

It is sad to see a church close their doors, but many times, the people merge into other churches and may grow deeper in their relationship with God. I know this because this has been my personal experience. Read More

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