These Practices Will Keep Churches Open Longer

While churches are closing every day, there are many so there will be thousands for a long time. There are lots of articles in the Christian press about the struggles churches face but not many get to the core of the problem. That is paying the preacher and a single use building. 

Videos generated by dissident preachers from the Denomination Lutheran Church Missouri Synod have been discussing the need to start new churches. The problem is that most of the time there is not enough money to secure a building and pay a preacher. Further exasperating its problem is a requirement men (no women) attend in person a denomination's seminary. All of that together, the dissidents conclude, is there needs to be a way to run small churches without paid preachers or expensive buildings. Yet, so far, the older leader in that denomination prefer to see numbers fall instead of developing an economic model that might work. 

Traditional church buildings are used only a few hours a week. Traditional retail spacers are used 60 hours a week. Any building or facility to be used by a church needs to have other uses besides holding services and meetings. A multi-use building and a preacher with another day job would go a long way to keeping churches open.

We all know the obstacles to changing the church business model. Members are usually older. Working out something different requires energy and enthusiasm often not present. Changing from the full time preacher probably seems strange. There are lot of preachers serving more than one church is common but often not cheap enough to work.

Churches truly face the old adage, change or die.