More churches in America are closing each year than opening. Today, we're sitting down with our friend Ryan Burge whose church, after over 150 years, made the difficult decision to close its doors earlier this year. We’ll hear their story firsthand and explore the broader implications of this growing trend for the future of Christianity in America.

 

=============================

Table of Contents:

=============================

0:00 - Intro

1:30 - Ryan’s Church Story

7:40 - Changing Religious Demographic Trends

14:29 - Culpability vs Innocence

22:00 - Process Of Closing A Church

28:40 - Where Are You Finding Hope Right Now

 

IMPORTANT LINKS

- As a pastor I pray my flock comes back… | Religion News: https://bit.ly/48c9Rub

- An Illinois church closes its doors as religion declines in the US | AP News: https://bit.ly/4dOuqhx

- In small-town Illinois, a little church says goodbye | Religion News: https://bit.ly/4hapdDw

- How do you close a church? Ryan Burge learned firsthand | Deseret News: https://bit.ly/4harxdK

- Ryan Burge: https://www.drburge.com

- Ryan Burge | Twitter/X: https://x.com/ryanburge

- Graphs about Religion: https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com

 

THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 52,481+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com

 

GET IN TOUCH

🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com

🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church

📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com 

 

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer