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 — a grim trajectory one pastor described as, “Every year the pews are getting emptier and the collection plates getting lighter.”

  • phutatorius@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    22
    ·
    edit-2
    2 days ago

    In Amsterdam, there’s a very nice old church that has been converted to a leather club.

    Near my house in England, there’s a big church hall that was sold off by the church and is now still a community center, but with a couple professional offices in part of the building. The building now seems far less derelict (the church hadn’t been giving it the level of maintenance it needed) and it’s being used much more as a result.

      • Herbal Gamer@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 days ago

        Could’ve been an underground church in the past when times were spicy.
        Otherwise just pick Paradiso; that also was a church.

      • phutatorius@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        2 days ago

        The guys standing outside were definitely sporting plenty of leather. They looked like they were having a good time. It’s not my scene so I can’t vouch for what goes on inside. I also don’t know if the leather thing was a one-night-a-week theme or if it’s always on.

        Anyway, I just looked it up. It’s called Club Church and, appropriately enough, it’s on Kerkstraat (Church Street) in the city center. If you ever drop in, please come back to share your experiences.