Wise Counsel for Good Church Endings - with Erika Cole, The Church Attorney

Closing or merging a church is a complex process with legal and spiritual considerations. In a recent episode of The Last Service Podcast, Erika Cole, the "Church Attorney", shared valuable insights on how churches can navigate these transitions with wisdom, preparation, and faithfulness.

Here are some key takeaways:

1. Cultivate Self-Awareness and Evaluation

Erika emphasized the importance of regular self-assessment to recognize decline early. Honest evaluation allows more time to explore revitalization efforts or prepare for a graceful ending. Review key metrics like attendance, financial health, and leadership succession plans.

2. Gather and Review Legal Documents

Every 2-3 years, churches should locate and review their vital legal documents, such as articles of incorporation, bylaws, deeds, and IRS determination letters. Having these documents organized is crucial for following proper closure or merger procedures.

3. Seek Experienced Legal Counsel

Engaging an attorney with specific nonprofit and church law experience is invaluable during mergers or closures. Look for competence in navigating complex legal processes, character and integrity, and genuine compassion for your church's situation.

4. Allow Ample Time for Transition

Erika recommends allocating at least two years for a church merger process, which involves aligning spiritual visions, evaluating assets, rebranding, and handling complex legal requirements.

5. Embrace Transition Intentionally and Inspirationally

A "good ending" for a church is intentional, insightful, and inspirational. It involves prayerful contemplation, wise counsel, peaceful dialogue, and a recognition that the church's spiritual mission was fulfilled, even if its visible form must change.

As painful as decline can be, Erika reminds churches that these transitions are an "opportunity to glorify God" by maintaining hope, inspiration, and faithfulness to the end. With proper preparation, discernment, and legal guidance, congregations can navigate mergers or closures in a way that honors their spiritual legacy.

Tags: #churchclosure #churchmerger #churchlaw

A Church’s Death and Resurrection - A Conversation with Rev. Diane Kenaston of Good Friday Collaborative

On the latest episode of The Last Service Podcast, host Matt McGee is joined by Rev. Diane Kenaston, co-founder of Good Friday Collaborative. Their organization supports churches facing the sacred but painful work of concluding their ministries through closure, merger, consolidation or relocation.

Having personally led a congregation through the merger process, Diane brings a pastor's heart to helping churches find hope in the midst of grief. She shared her story of shepherding a historic St. Louis congregation to complete its existing ministry and birth something new through a merger with another church.

"This was a congregation founded in 1910 as an all-white church in a segregated neighborhood," Diane explained. "Over the decades, they wrestled with what it meant to stay and integrate as the community changed drastically around them."

Faced with dwindling attendance, finances, and exhaustion, church leaders faithfully chose to complete their existing life cycle and merge. But first, Diane guided them through an intentional discernment process and series of "legacy services" to grieve, celebrate, and mark the ending well.  

"We wanted to say thank you, I love you, I'm sorry, and I forgive you," Diane said. "It's the same things individuals need to say before death - congregations need that too before their metaphorical death and resurrection into new life."

Navigating A Closure With Grace

While every congregation's journey is unique, Diane believes most churches go through similar stages when closure becomes apparent. Drawing on her experiences and those of other "last pastors", The Good Friday Collaborative outlines five key stages:

1. The Quiet Wondering stage when uncertainty and anxiety first arise about the church's viability, though often unvoiced.

2. Naming and Normalizing that the church may need to make dramatic changes without shame or stigma. 

3. Intentional Decision-Making to discern the best path forward through a discernment process grounded in prayer.

4. Planning for Final Ministry by tending to logistical and pastoral needs like staff transitions, building sales, archives, etc.  

5. Leading Final Ministry through closing services, celebrating legacy, grieving losses, and sending the church out to new ministry.  

"A good ending allows the congregation to experience God's forgiveness, say thank you, and know the love they share will continue even if this expression doesn't," Diane said. "It looks like resurrection and new beginnings growing from this metaphorical death."

While church closure is inevitably painful, Diane urges clergy and lay leaders to avoid suppressing or rushing the process out of avoidance. Embracing the emotions and marking the ending well can prevent spiritual trauma.  

"God does not give us a spirit of timidity around death," she said. "As Christians who believe in resurrection, we should approach these organizational deaths and new births with courage."

Pastoral Care For "Last Pastors"

Diane and her Good Friday collaborators are particularly passionate about supporting ministers who become "last pastors" to their closing congregations. Research shows these clergy tend to leave parish ministry entirely due to grief, burnout, or "pushout" from judicatory leaders.

"I had a denominational official tell me he refused to celebrate 'failure' and walked out when closing churches were recognized," Diane shared. "We want to change that narrative of church closure from failure to faithfulness."

The collaborative provides coaching, online courses, and other resources to strengthen last pastors' resilience and discernment during the draining work of congregational exodus. They aim to help these ministers grieve well and hear God's call to what's next.

"Churches are going to keep closing - that's inevitable," Diane said. "But resurrection is possible too if we engage this sacred work with wisdom and care for all involved."

For churches finding themselves in those first two stages of quiet wondering and naming, Diane encourages them to explore The Good Friday Collaborative's materials as soon as possible. The further ahead congregations can start preparing for their conclusion, the more options they'll have for ending well.

"It's our calling to help ministries complete in a pastoral way, honoring their legacies while unbinding them for the new things God will birth from this transition," she said. "There is always new life ahead, even amidst this death."

A Conversation with John Muzyka of Church Realty

The American church landscape is shifting rapidly. More churches are closing than opening, and an estimated 4,000 church properties will change hands this year alone. How can congregations navigate this transition well?

I recently interviewed John Muzyka, of Church Realty, to get his seasoned perspective. Church Realty specializes in helping churches buy, sell, and assess their property needs throughout their ministry life cycles.

The Church's Life Cycle

John explains that churches go through natural life cycles, not unlike the stages couples go through. A church plant starts small, like renting space or meeting in a home. As it grows, it may need a modest "starter" facility. Continuing growth may eventually require a larger "dream home" to accommodate expanding ministries.

"A church plant does not buy their dream home, just like a young couple does not buy their dream home right after they get married," John says. "Churches are ministry-minded. They're looking for a place to do ministry."

Signs a Transition is Needed

But what are the signs a church may need to prayerfully consider transitioning to a new facility or making the heart-wrenching decision to close? A few potential red flags:

• Inability to keep up with maintenance and deferred repairs are piling up

• Being severely underutilized for the size of the facility (e.g. 70 people meeting in a 900-seat auditorium)

• The current building is keeping the congregation from fulfilling its mission and vision

"If you're not utilizing [the building] for your intended purpose, you need to have a discussion," John advises. "You need to be a good steward of the facility you have."

The Role of an Objective Real Estate Professional

For many churches, the building represents decades of cherished memories and milestones. This makes it incredibly difficult for church members to make prudent, unbiased decisions about selling or relocating.

This is where an experienced, objective real estate professional can provide invaluable guidance. John and his team's mission is to serve as a supportive expert voice to help churches evaluate their facility needs and options without being swayed by emotional attachments.

"A lot of commercial brokers just don't get it. They want to go find somebody who can find them a buyer in 30 days. That's not how this works," John says. "Churches don't make fast decisions. If I list a church building, it's probably going to take 12-18 months to sell it."

He notes that the ideal church real estate professional is someone who:

• Has expertise serving churches specifically and understanding their decision-making processes

• Is willing to do thorough due diligence work over a lengthy period instead of just chasing quick deals

• Can empathize with the profound life transition a church goes through in this process

Handling Emotional Attachments

While John stresses that "the church is not the building - the church is the people," he recognizes churches want to steward their properties for kingdom purposes if possible.

"Some churches may say, 'We're not going to sell this building to a commercial user. We'd rather it be a church,'" he says. "Okay, then you're probably not going to go buy land and build. You need to adjust your vision and finances based on that decision."

Ideally, the church can work toward an outcome where the sale of their property provides the funds to relocate or launch a new work elsewhere. This allows their legacy to continue through a new congregation.

Examples of Churches Ending Well

John gave a powerful example of a church he worked with that ended extraordinarily well under the pastor's guidance. As the church prepared to sell its building, the pastor guided members to visit other local churches over several weeks to find their next church home.

"He helped those members find a church home," John marveled. "I had never seen that before."

Another church opted to sell its building to a Hispanic congregation, despite having other higher offers. The buyer church then "exploded" with growth after moving in, which allowed the closing congregation to pass the baton in beautiful way.

While not every ending can be so storybook, John says churches that are able to honestly assess their situation, receive outside counsel, make timely decisions, and sacrificially consider their moveout plan have the best chance of ending with grace and perpetuating their legacy.

Not Inevitable, But Normal

Of course, the healthiest outcome is for churches to proactively make changes to revitalize before closing becomes the only option. John notes that while church closures are not inevitable, they are sadly normal in a world of imperfect, human leadership.

"Churches die and close for lots of reasons - moral failure, financial mismanagement, committees losing their original mission over time," he says. "But I don't think it's inevitable if churches stay on mission, navigate change well, and have healthy leadership transitions."

The key is being willing to ask the tough questions, get trusted outside counsel, make necessary adjustments, and keep the church's mission as the guiding force. While the church is not a building, our buildings should serve as tools to advance that mission.

Navigating Church Closings With Compassion and Inspiration

The closing of a beloved church can be deeply emotional for long-time congregants. Often accompanied by feelings of grief, failure, and letting loyal members down.

However, church closures are increasingly common. And with the right guidance, these endings can be reframed as opportunities - to honor fruitful legacies, empower the community, and courageously start new chapters.

I spoke with Claire Bamberg, an expert consultant in church transitions, about how leaders can shepherd their congregations through this sensitive process with care, wisdom and inspiration for the future.

Destigmatizing Church Closures

There is often stigma around a church closing shop. After decades of baptisms, weddings and holiday services, it can feel as if “we’re failing our ancestors,” Claire explains.

In reality, church closures are rarely about shortcomings of the current congregation. More often, they reflect wider cultural shifts. The needs of surrounding communities transform. Younger generations engage differently. And for many mainstream denominations, the golden era of the 1950s will likely never return.

Yet the shame persists. “Anytime you need help, you must have done something wrong,” Claire observes. Churches feel they should heroically soldier on independently.

However, she strives to reframe closures as “an act of faith” - an opportunity to distribute resources to partners doing essential community work.

The key is legacy. “What do you want your grandchildren to say you were part of? How will our resources matter in the world?” This future-focused perspective can powerfully shift the narrative.

Knowing When to Have the Talk

With no judgement yet curiosity, leaders can start paying attention to certain indicators, like:

• Becoming more insular. Discussions revolve around solving internal problems rather than outward mission.

• Prioritizing the wishes of longtime faithful members over community needs and outreach.

• Struggling to find volunteers for key roles over extended periods.

An outside consultant can be invaluable for an objective assessment. They help surface all options in a non-threatening way, not forcing specific outcomes. Timing is also critical - acting before options narrow, but not jumping in prematurely.

Shepherding the Flock

For pastors guiding a congregation through major transition, Claire stresses, “humility, patience, listening and did I mention patience?”

Rather than championing their own vision, leaders must studiosly hear people’s grieving and attachment to beloved elements like the building, liturgy, pews where generations sat. Allowing emotional processing space before addressing logistics opens more possibilities.

Clergy also can’t get ahead of the congregation, Claire warns. “You cannot know before they do where they are going...You’ll be ostracized and resented.” Collectively discerning the best path forward may be slower, but garners more buy-in and unity.

Creative Paths Forward

Rather than a binary - stay open or close shop - there are creative middle paths. Churches Claire consulted with pursued partnerships, joint/shared ministries, multiple campuses, fully online models, and community service focus areas matched to specialized needs.

Letting go of the physical building, while painful, often liberates resources to meet more needs. One declining church sold their property, invested to sustain online worship, and gained more reach in that digital space - with added funds flowing to global missions.

Honoring the Legacy

Much care goes into planning a final closing service, if that path is chosen. This meticulously crafted ceremony strives to:

• Thank generations of members for their sacrifice and service.

• Uplift and celebrate the accomplishments, memories and gifts congregants gave to the wider community.

• Inspire people to carry values, relationships and partnerships forward into new forms of collective faith in action.

• Reassure everyone this is not an ending - rather a bold step through a threshold into fresh expressions of living tradition.

The mood is poignant yet hopeful. Former clergy return to participate. And long-time members mingle with newer participants and families to reminisce. The church leaves a powerful legacy for scattered descendants to feed future ministries and healing initiatives across the broader community.

In closing, Claire reminds leaders facing wrenching decisions, “Never place a period where God has placed a comma. There are always new beginnings.”