Empty Church Buildings for Sale

As the dynamics of church attendance change, empty sanctuaries are in need of new congregations.

What happens to old churches when they lose their congregations?

The question is likely to come up a lot starting next month when the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announces a new strategic plan -- read "reorganization" -- that, if it's anything like those unveiled in other cities, will result in multiple parish mergers that create empty church buildings.

While commercial real estate agents predict that finding new occupants for them likely will be a challenge, several Twin Cities churches have already emerged with second lives. A church in White Bear Lake, for example, is now a theater.

The supply of churches is up, and the demand is down. The slumping commercial real estate market has made it harder for potential buyers to find financing at the same time that it's forcing some cash-strapped churches to close. There's also the ongoing shift toward regional mega-churches, a trend that some people fear is going to make the neighborhood church an endangered species.