Church Closings | Nazarene Presence in the Cascadia Megaregion (1905-2015)

Churches close. It is part of the life-cycle of organizations as much as death is a by-product of reproduction. It is not a matter of "if" a church closes but "when." On the Cascadia megaregion, for every church that dies, another one survives. 

​56% of churches started or organized were eventually closed

The first decade of the 21st century (2000-2009) had the most closings with 48.

2007 was the first year in which church closings were in the double digits. Twenty-three (23) churches closed in 2007. More churches closed in 2007 than entire decades except for the 1980s (32) and the 1990s (24).

The only other year in which more than ten churches closed was 2011 with 13. 

The decade with the second most closings was the 1980s with 32. This decade also had the most newstarts and organized churches (72). ​With risk there is hope.

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Like the Church of the Nazarene in the Southern California megaregion, the rate of closure is very similar to Cascadia. The same critical time period for church longevity is between seven to twelve years. 

Closed within two years

Closed within seven years

Closed within twelve years

Cascadia
​25%

61%

72%

SoCal
22%

56%

​70%

Is there a need for regular checkups at various points in a new church's lifespan, especially at the markers for two years, seven years, and twelve years?

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One additional, and perhaps the most important, aspect for Cascadia is that the fact that one-sixth of churches (43) closed after only one year. 

There is risk inherent in reproduction. Yet, being able to multiply is also a key sign of healthy maturation.

Resources:

• Raw Data for the three Nazarene districts on the Cascadia megaregion
• Nazarene Presence in the Cascadia Megaregion (1905-2015)
• Megaregions and the Church of the Nazarene in North America
• Nazarene Presence in the Southern California Megaregion (Organized and Closed Churches)​
• Great Lakes Megaregion and the Church of the Nazarene​