When the Final Bell Tolls: Patterns of Church Closings in Two Protestant Denominations
While growth in congregations and denominations generates much research, few studies speak to the other side of religious organization performance: decline and death. This study steps into this gap to consider rates and reasons for closings among America's most pervasive form of voluntary assoc...
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| Contributors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2008
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 2008, Volume: 50, Issue: 1, Pages: 49-73 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | While growth in congregations and denominations generates much research, few studies speak to the other side of religious organization performance: decline and death. This study steps into this gap to consider rates and reasons for closings among America's most pervasive form of voluntary association. Drawing on prior studies of organizational mortality outside religion, we examine congregational closure as a function of organizational age. Longitudinal data from more than 15,000 congregations in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) and Church of the Nazarene enable tests of age-liabilities. Congregations from these denominations experience lower rates of mortality than other types of formal organizations, but they are not immune from challenges to survival at founding and after 40-50 years in existence. Minimum resources necessary for congregational survival and implications for denominational growth and decline are discussed in conclusion. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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