I was riding my bike through myneighborhoodwith my son the other day when I noticed a “For Sale” sign in an odd place – in front of a local church:
Yep, the local church is for sale. I couldn’t help but think that this is reflective of the growing number of “nones” in the U.S. At some level I’m hoping I see more of this.
Thoughts?
profxm
I'm a college professor and, well, a professional X-Mormon. Thus, ProfXM. I love my Mormon family, but have issues with LDS Inc. And I'm not afraid to tell LDS Inc. what I really think... anonymously, of course!
[…] two cents. Daniel argues that the Internet (not an increase in critical thinking) is to blame for religion’s decline — is that why Mormonism’s membership and activity stats compare so badly with those of […]
Lists of Brodie award winners:
X-Mormon of the Year 2021: Jeff T. Green
X-Mormon of the Year 2020: Jacinda Ardern
X-Mormon of the Year 2019: David Nielsen
X-Mormon of the Year 2018: Sam Young 
X-Mormon of the Year 2017: Savannah
X-Mormon of the Year 2016: Jeremy Runnells
X-Mormon of the Year 2015: John Dehlin
X-Mormon of the Year 2014: Kate Kelly
X-Mormon of the Year 2013: J. Seth Anderson and Michael Ferguson
X-Mormon of the Year 2012: David Twede
X-Mormon of the Year 2011: Joanna Brooks
X-Mormon of the Year 2010: Monica Bielanko
X-Mormon of the Year 2009: Walter Kirn
I kind of feel that hope along with you. Though I attend a church, I have been beginning to believe that there are more productive places to find community. My family became involved with a local theater company 2 years ago. It is a wonderful community of friends and in many ways better than church. We are not antagonistic of other theater companies, rather we support them. No one is going to burn forever if they don’t come to our group. 🙂 My children get a message of love, creativity, and inclusion that is sometimes sorely lacking in church.
Good point, Andrew. Community does not equal church or vice versa. In fact, my brother-in-law, an active Mormon, just moved out of a ward in SLC because, after 10 years, no one in the ward knew who he was or talked to him, despite him attending regularly.
Anyone have solid numbers of LDS buildings? I think it will be quite a long time before these buildings are sold because (at least along the corridor) the wards are packed three to a building.
Here in Dallas there’s a former Lutheran church for sale not too far from us. There seems to be an exodus to the megachurches, but that may be just this area.
There’s a Baptist church in my area. It’s being demolished. I think of this as a small victory for reason.
Ideally, the nice old churches could be converted into libraries, restaurants, or apartments. Something that would contribute. But this building was dingy and old. I don’t think it could have been made into anything nice.
A couple of commenters on this PostMo thread are reporting an LDS building spree.
I have read articles in the New Yorker and magazines about the Megachurch trend. All over the country younger people are going to the megachurches (evangelical) and leaving the old congragations. Don’t get your hopes up about religion folding.
Since the megachurch route is probably not a realistic option for the LDS, I wonder if Daymon Smith could be right about Mormonism eventually pioneering the first serious 100% online major world religion?
You thought I was kidding about Mormons shifting online? Here’s the official blueprint:
An LA Times writer blames it on “another, more unsettling conclusion: that many people who call themselves Christian don’t really believe, deep down, in the tenets of their faith.”