CNN ran a piece warning of a “tsunami” of church closings, with an estimate that 100,000 US churches will close or be repurposed in the next decade. John Stonestreet answers it at The Christian Post, and the numbers are more hopeful than the headline.
What the data says
- Ed Stetzer: “The data points to decline. But it is slow decline and churn, not a tsunami.”
- In 2024 about 4,000 Protestant churches closed and about 3,800 opened, a net drop of about 200, nowhere near 10,000 a year
- The 100,000 figure counts buildings sold or repurposed, not congregations dying. Churches that move, multi-site campuses and small storefront churches don’t show up well in those stats
Weekly attendance really is down: under a third of Americans now, versus half 75 years ago. So there’s a real problem. It’s just not a tsunami.
My take
It’s His church, not ours. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). Plenty of little churches meeting in strip malls and living rooms are full of the Spirit and never make a headline. Pray for your local church this week, show up, and bring someone.
God Bless, and May the Source Be with You!
