The March of Economics into Christianity

In recent years the press has covered a series of Catholic dioceses in large cities which have reduced the number of parishes by consolidating them. This has closed at least a few hundred parish congregations and their churches. 

Every article about these consolidations has included stories of closing what locals call active strong parishes. An interesting article in the Catholic Reporter is by a Catholic lay person who visited all the 40 plus parishes closing in the Diocese of Baltimore. He considered his own parish financially strong with good membership and financial numbers. While there were some parishes he visited that were obviously weak there were also several which were as strong as his own. All of those strong ones thought they would avoid the guillotine. None of them did.

Nearly all Christian churches have majority senior citizens. When a neighborhood church closes it is not always possible for these older people to attend somewhere else.  

 Since starting this blog, I have discussed many times the flawed economics of a church. The building is expensive or maintain but sits empty most of the time. A business is open and uses its building 40 or more hours a week. With a church building it is a fraction of this. The expenses are similar for both. If it has professional (salaried) clergy and other paid staff this has to be added to the expense of keeping the parish or church open. 

I think it is these economic headwinds that cause Catholic dioceses to close so many parishes. The members in these parishes are aging and the building, even if in fair shape, will need major expenses. Better economics is found in forcing members to drive across town to a church where the expenses are shared among more people. The cost of losing some members is baked into the decision to close parishes.

Critics of this blog have told me economics are not part of the faith. Collecting money has to do with an obligation to God they say, not for something as crass as cash flow or heating the building. Economics, however, is relentless and paying bills has trumped the obligation to God.