Empty Pews May Mean It's Time To Downsize, Religious Leaders Say
Declining church attendance is forcing some religious leaders to make difficult decisions — namely, what to do with outsized or vacant places of worship.
Many U.S. churches were built decades ago during times of religious growth. In some communities, however, shrinking congregations no longer have the financial resources to maintain these large church properties. Eden Theological Seminary will host a two-day symposium this week focused on ways religious and community leaders can repurpose these buildings.
Many old churches have “substantial value,” said Robert Simons, professor of urban planning at Cleveland State University.
“For the most part, there’s a pretty short list of prohibited uses most faiths subscribe to,” said Simons, who will speak Wednesday at Eden Theological Seminary. “If you decommission the building and take out the sacred objects, it becomes a piece of real estate.”
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/empty-pews-may-mean-it-s-time-downsize-religious-leaders-say
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Kruisherenhotel Maastricht, Holland
Fontevraud L’Hôtel, Saint-Lazare, France
Hotel Sozo, Nantes, France
Spirito-Martini, Brussels, Belgium
It was designed by an influential Beaux-Arts architect, Emanuel Masqueray, and as such was historically significant and couldn't just be torn down to build an apartment building or something. A choral group I belonged to had rehearsed and performed there for many years (the acoustics were wonderful), and we were very disappointed when it was decided that it had to be closed down. The diocese couldn't support it anymore because the congregation had dwindled, the building needed work, and there were other churches of the same denomination not too far away. Fortunately, though, some investors bought it and turned it into a performing arts center, which now seems to be thriving. https://www.thesummitcenter.com/about
if they leave politics out of their preaching and stick to religion. 
