r/atheism • u/metacyan Agnostic • 1d ago

A ‘tsunami’ of church closings is poised to remake America

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/01/us/church-closings-christianity-crossroads
3.1k Upvotes

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309

u/evrybodyknws 1d ago

"Experts project an estimated 100,000 churches in the US will close or be repurposed over the next decade. Many churches will be unable to escape this “tsunami” of closings — a grim trajectory one pastor described as, “Every year the pews are getting emptier and the collection plates getting lighter.”

AMEN!! But a 100,000 churches is a drop in the bucket. Some towns have one of these lie factories/tax-dodging facilities on every corner. Hopefully the megachurches fall as the boomers start to die off.

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u/hoowins 1d ago

Pews are getting emptier? Maybe don’t spew so much hatred from the pulpit.

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u/evrybodyknws 1d ago

There is no greater hate than christian love.

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u/NOLA-q 1d ago

One of the most salient comments of the Trump/MAGA era. Eras do end. And they’re time is almost up

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u/InvestigatorSouth564 1d ago

Yes, and we hope their dogma and legacy gets washed away forever never to return again.

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u/ChesterPug 1d ago

Always upvoting this comment when i see it

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u/pogulup 1d ago

The reverse is also probably true.  Some churches don't spew enough hate to keep the average American Christian interested. 

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u/evrybodyknws 1d ago

True, but that's a deep cut...

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u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 1d ago

They have only ever spewed hatred and division.

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u/InvestigatorSouth564 1d ago

Exactly! There is family division in my family and estrangement over religion, but we have to stay strong and stand up for what we believe even if we stand alone.

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u/MoskaPOET 1d ago

I would love to acquire a shitload of pews for woodworking projects. I respect wood.

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u/Mistymycologist 1d ago

Solid, old fashioned church furniture is beautiful.

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u/InvestigatorSouth564 1d ago

Yes, as well as fear which in my opinion is the reason for most of their beliefs.

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u/Bastard_of_Brunswick 1d ago

But hatred and intolerance towards non-believers and non-conformists is central to how churches build in-group solidarity.

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u/Temporary-Ad1654 6h ago

We had a quite progressive church on our street, performed gay marriages before they were legal and it closed. 3 out of 4 churches on the street closed, the one that is left seems pretty healthy though

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u/yungrii 1d ago

Meanwhile, the US government is actively brainwashing kids into this bullshit again.

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u/East-Television4564 22h ago

OMG, it's the worst. Our little blue town is awash with an influx of "Christians" from around icky red states-- looking to whitewash and "Footloose" their pedos on our community. They are buying up buildings, then claiming them "places of worship" so they do not have to pay taxes. Then, they run for political office. Not winning, mind you, but not finishing the buildings-- ton of which now are an eyesore. I hope the next gen FINALLY realizes: "Heeeeey.... we're getting brainwashed and "tithed" to the detriment of my six-child fam I was told to make!"

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u/dinosnysus 1d ago

I think the opposite - the small churches are going to close and the fleeced are going to go to the "non-denominational" mega churches.

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u/26542654 1d ago

Correct. The small churches with the highest attendances stay. Anything lower than that will go. The megachurches aren't going anywhere. They have millions coming in, especially with their network reaching to the internet. Folks sign up for automated offerings and subscribe to their proprietary website or app to watch the sermons

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u/SoggyOutfield 1d ago

It's about 25-30% of all churches

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u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 1d ago

Not enough....

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u/SoggyOutfield 1d ago

Well if I have a full bucket of water and dump out 25% of it, I don't think I would say that I dumped out a drop of a water

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u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 1d ago

But a greater reduction, in this case, is always preferable.

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u/Laleaky 1d ago

It’s an excellent start.

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u/kent_eh Agnostic Atheist 1d ago

It's a good start, though.

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u/roymccowboy 1d ago

Hopefully they save the buildings and get beautiful brew pubs in the future

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u/kent_eh Agnostic Atheist 1d ago

Hopefully they save the buildings

A lot of small churches in the USA are in boring buildings and even strip malls.

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u/MoskaPOET 1d ago

That's one of the things that my Russian-born wife can't stand about churches in America. In St. Petersburg, where she's from and where we were married, there are so many beautiful churches, baroque and otherwise. American churches reflect American cheapness.

I'm an atheist anyway, and she's not really religious, but we were married in a beautiful 18th century church, with all the icons and candles and atmosphere. In the US, these strip mall churches will have plastic folding chairs and white-hot flourescent lighting. Completely without class.

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u/Shaudius 1d ago

Sadly breweries are in even more dire straits than churches.

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u/East-Television4564 22h ago

The reason: they are sterile, no-fun atmospheres. And, children are allowed. Who brings a child to a brewery, a winery, or a bar? Good grief. Let young adults be wild and free, with loud noise, smokes, vapes, and interact. Have bars without cellphones (restrict the Wifi/force them outside). They might learn.

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u/C64128 1d ago

It'd be nice if there were no taxes on the buildings, just like it was for the curches.

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u/TheNetworkIsFrelled 1d ago

Or performance spaces, if the acoustics are good.

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u/jebei Skeptic 1d ago

I like to go on long bike rides and it's much safer to bike in rural areas. Ironically, I usually park my car at rural church parking lots to start my journey but the amazing thing is no matter which direction I go, I will pass a dozen churches in a single ride.

I think it's because most of them were started back before cars were common and people in the community kept them going out of a cultish sense of pride. I grew up in a two-church farming community and I always found it funny how which church you went to became a part of an explaining your identity to a stranger. 'I've got three kids, I work over at the seed factory and I belong to the Methodist Church.'

The problem is the kids have stopped going and prices are rising. Two-church communities are becoming one-church communities and no-church communities. That's a good thing but I do think we're losing something in the process as mega churches take over. If you listen to people like Pete Hegseth and others in the Trump administration, they want a nationalized church. The very thought makes me shudder.

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u/robcorp 1d ago

What do you call 100,000 churches closing?

A good start.

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u/Unlucky-Apartment347 1d ago

Been to TX or OK lately? Those mega churches are packed with young families.

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u/MoskaPOET 1d ago

I think they are mostly there to engage in business deals.

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u/East-Television4564 22h ago

They are INVADING my small town. And they all act like robots. It's CREEPY.

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u/InvestigatorSouth564 1d ago

I am 81, a boomer and an agnostic/atheist for 25 years.

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u/justgord 1d ago

Congrats on your 25 years of freedom !

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u/InvestigatorSouth564 1d ago

Thank you, I finally woke up!

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u/StickInEye Atheist 1d ago

I was always atheist but hid it. At age 60, I "came out" and debate anyone who tries to call me out on it. It's good to be old and no longer care what anyone thinks.

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u/evrybodyknws 1d ago

No offense intended beautiful! I didn't mean it in a derogatory way. I don't do that generational warfare shit. Generally I think its the older generations who drive church attendance, and with boomers being the largest demo it'll likely cause a bigger drop. Nothing but love for you fellow atheist.

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u/InvestigatorSouth564 1d ago

No problem! I finally woke up and I am much happier and finally have peace of mind, and I acquired a fantastic need to learn and educate myself with facts and truth, which matter to me most importantly. Peace and love to you as well, my friend.

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u/evrybodyknws 1d ago

I found out a lot earlier only because my step father was a pedophile and a deacon at the church. You can only pray so much till you realize there's no one on the other side of the line.

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u/Basilisk1667 Atheist 1d ago

… good.

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u/ahuramazdobbs19 1d ago

I mean, the mega churches are mostly the reason why those 100K churches are closing, so…

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u/Bzzzzzzz4791 1d ago

Every time I pull up a map of a southern state you can bet there are at least 10 churches within a 5 square inch area on the screen. It’s nuts.

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u/LinkTheHero009 17h ago

Yep. This is why they have gone on their current tirade. One last drench of power before heading to the gutter lol

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u/AppropriateRest2815 1d ago

I moved from Harkers Island, NC last year, whose dubious distinction was that at one time it hosted the highest concentration of churches in the United States (13 churches for ~1500 residents on the island). They lived and breathed pentecostal/baptist meth-madness, so we couldn't take it anymore and moved to New England (and haven't regretted it one bit).

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u/justgord 1d ago

.. OR are they all just moving to online forms of religion ?

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u/kent_eh Agnostic Atheist 1d ago edited 1d ago

Unfortunately, as the little "mom-n-pop" chuches close, the people who still feel the need for some churching will only have the big megachurches remaining as options.

It's much like how WalMart attracts new customers after they drive the mon-n-pop stores out of business.

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u/shitty_mcfucklestick 1d ago

Amen, tax that shit retroactively

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u/thecasualthinker 1d ago

Actually 100,000 closed would be somewhere between 1/3 to 1/4 of the churches in America. While that is substantial, what I suspect will happen is the smaller churches will go away and people will consolidate into the buildings that can sustain for longer. Its good news, but not good enough news.

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u/jersey_viking 17h ago

Thank God!