‘Where did the people go?’
One of the most difficult questions to answer when pursuing the story of closed churches is, “Where did the people go?” Finding “Where have all…
Church decline
What my dad taught me about growing a church
I was born the year my dad, Travis Irwin, began his 45-year ministry to Church of Christ congregations in Ohio and Tennessee. Thus I have…
Church closing trend began before COVID-19
MANCHESTER, Tenn. — When the Ragsdale Church of Christ closed its doors on March 6, it joined hundreds of other congregations nationwide that have ceased…
A final song, a familiar end
#12 — Amazing Grace “When we’ve been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when…
Where have all the churches gone?
Based on records maintained by 21st Century Christian, roughly 200 Churches of Christ in the U.S. closed between 2014 and 2021. These congregations encompassed every…
Shrinking congregations sell buildings
The Highland Oaks Church of Christ in Dallas and the Rochester Church of Christ in Rochester Hills, Mich., are selling buildings that once welcomed thousands…
Churches shouldn’t wait to have end-of-life talks
Three years ago, in response to your requests, we launched a series called “Blessed be the Caregivers.” We talked to countless Christians who sacrifice their…
Review: Church Inside Out
I’ll never forget my grandmother teaching me how to interlock my fingers while she would say, “Here’s the church. Here’s the steeple. Open the door…
