Father Bryan Zielenieski of the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, United States, reflects on the challenging times facing churches as attendance dwindles nationwide.
As places of worship adopt various survival strategies, the Diocese has been forced to grapple with significant change.
“We essentially went to half of what we used to back in the early 2000s,” Zielenieski explained to ABC News. “We lost about 100 parishes.”
Now, he anticipates shutting down another 70 churches as part of the Diocese’s “road to renewal.”
He described this mission as a deeply biblical one, driven by the harsh reality of modern church attendance: fewer people are walking through the doors.
Today, over half of the Diocese’s churches baptize fewer than one person per month, and 59% are financially unsustainable, Zielenieski revealed.
“It’s my job and role to not just pray about the situation, but to then look at the hard data and say, where does the church need to move?” he shared.
The decline in religious participation reflects a broader trend across the United States. Gallup polling reveals that while nearly 80% of Americans were affiliated with a house of worship in the late 1940s, only 45% claim the same today, with just 32% attending weekly services.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. was already losing up to 1,000 churches annually. Many of these shuttered buildings have found new life in unexpected ways.
For example, a Methodist church in Atlanta, which closed with only 60 members remaining, was repurposed into luxury condos.
Meanwhile, some historic churches have even been transformed into bars or nightclubs.
Yet, not all congregations are selling their properties outright. Atlanta’s First United Methodist Church, led by Pastor Jasmine Smothers, is charting a different course. Smothers is leveraging the church’s valuable land to build over 300 apartments, including much-needed affordable housing.
“It’s literally going to change the landscape of Atlanta in more ways than one,” Smothers told ABC News. She believes the project will provide the resources necessary to sustain the church’s ministries, describing the effort as a “God-sized” plan.
“This ain’t your great grandma’s church,” Smothers quipped.
Outside Syracuse, New York, the 171-year-old Calcium Church faces similar challenges. Pastor Milton LaSalle has seen membership dwindle to about 35 regular attendees, most of whom are elderly.
Despite financial strain, the church continues its outreach programs, such as clothing and school supply giveaways.
“The aging of the church here, of course, is seen all over America,” LaSalle told ABC News. “For instance, we lost five of our members last year to death.”
Parishioner Jeannetta LaSalle emphasized the role the church plays in her life, saying, “It gives me purpose to get up in the morning.”
Father Zielenieski in Buffalo echoed the sentiment that churches remain places of refuge during crises, recalling the surge in attendance after the September 11, 2001 attacks. “When times are challenging, they go to God first,” he said.
However, he warned against taking the church’s presence for granted. “We’ve never asked the question, how is it going to be there and how is that going to stay?”
With the sale of Buffalo’s All Saints Church imminent, Zielenieski ensured the agreement prevents the property from becoming a venue that encourages immoral behaviour.
During the church’s final Mass, the priests read from scripture to comfort the small group of attendees: “For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
As many parishes face the necessity of selling their buildings, Father Zielenieski remains at the forefront of these difficult decisions, balancing faith and practicality in guiding his Diocese through its “road to renewal.”
