What Rev. Melissa Wagner experienced with her shrinking congregation is arguably the most urgent challenge facing churches across America.
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.
Despite churches’ struggles, Christianity remains the dominant religion in America.
It’s woven into the fabric of American history as well as the nation’s political and civic culture.
About 62% of adults in the US identify as Christian, and an estimated 30% of Americans — about 100 million people — still attend church every week.
Growth in the number of Catholics, however, is driven by Hispanics who now make up 1/3 of U.S. Catholics.
