You should care about church decline
Author: Brandon Sutton
Every Sunday across our great nation, the turn off and the doors shut in another sanctuary for the last time. One final hymn is sung. The last sermon is preached. A few faithful saints hug, weep, and walk out the doors, never to return again—not because they’ve left the faith, but because the church has closed.
Sadly, this is not a rare occurrence. In the Southern Baptist Convention alone, an average of 17 churches shut down every single week. Across all denominations in the U.S., more than 4,500 churches close annually. That’s roughly 87 per week. And though new churches are being planted, the net loss is staggering—roughly 1,500 churches a year. Even more sobering, many of the churches we lose are debt-free properties that once stood as gospel lighthouses in their neighborhoods. They’re now being repurposed as event centers, restaurants, breweries, or even mosques.
Don’t misunderstand me—the church of Jesus Christ will never be defeated (Matthew 16:18). The gates of hell will not prevail against it. But local churches can, and do, die.
Some might say, “Maybe they should. If they were stubborn or unfaithful, this is the natural consequence.” But that assumes death is the only path forward. It’s not. With the right help, many of these churches can thrive again. And we should care—because Jesus deserves healthy churches in every neighborhood.
What happens when the local church struggles? Salt loses its taste. Light fades (Matthew 5:13–16). Which means decay accelerates and darkness increases. Communities lose their moral compass. The poor and broken lose a place of refuge. The next generation loses a witness.
If you’ve noticed the increasing moral deterioration in our culture, it’s not just a political or educational crisis—it’s a church crisis. As the church weakens, so does our nation. As goes the church, so goes the culture.
This is why the mission of church replanting is urgent. The closure of a church is not just a loss of tradition—it’s the loss of gospel access in a community. It’s the silencing of a prophetic voice, the end of marriages celebrated, funerals preached, baptisms, sermons, discipleship, and spiritual legacy.
The problem is massive. But so is the opportunity. If more pastors, leaders, and churches would rise up and say, “Not on our watch,” we could see a new wave of renewal. That’s why The Replanting Network exists: to awaken your heart to the crisis, to equip your hands for the work, and to fuel a movement of hope.
This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about glory; the glory of Christ through His church. And Jesus is worthy of far more than empty buildings. He is worthy of vibrant, gospel-preaching churches in every town, every neighborhood, and every generation.
Let’s carry this burden together. Let’s not waste what previous generations built. Let’s replant what was lost and renew what’s been forgotten. Because Jesus deserves it, and the world needs it.
