The Challenge of Leading Through Church Closure

Lessons from Rev. Lorrin Radzik

I recently had the privilege of speaking with Rev. Lorrin Radzik, a United Methodist pastor with a story that resonated deeply with me. As the host of The Last Service Podcast, I’ve spoken with many leaders about the struggles of declining churches, but Lorrin’s experience of leading a church through its closure hit on something that many of us in ministry can relate to: the weight of hard decisions.

Lorrin’s journey wasn’t just about managing decline—it was about faithfully guiding a congregation through the reality that their ministry, as they knew it, was coming to an end. It wasn’t what she envisioned when she entered ministry, and it’s certainly not the kind of thing they focus on in seminary. But it’s a reality that more and more pastors are facing in our current religious landscape, especially in what some might call “dying churches.”

As Lorrin shared her experience, I was struck by her transparency and courage. Here was someone who walked into a situation where the church had been struggling for years. The finances were in the red, the congregation was dwindling, and yet they still resisted the possibility of merging or closing. As Lorrin pointed out, it wasn’t just about keeping the lights on—it was about addressing the deeper, emotional ties people had to the church, the memories of baptisms, weddings, and countless Sundays together.

One of the things that stood out most to me was how Lorrin navigated the difficult balance of honoring the church’s legacy while also confronting the hard truth: they couldn’t continue the way they were. It wasn’t a matter of failure; it was about being faithful to what God was calling them to do next. And in this case, that meant closure. The courage to face that truth and guide her congregation toward a decision they ultimately agreed was the most faithful step was inspiring.

Pastors often feel the pressure to keep things going, to grow the church, to meet expectations. But Lorrin’s story reminded me that sometimes our role is not to preserve the status quo, but to shepherd our people through transitions—even painful ones. Her story is a testament to the idea that church closure doesn’t have to be seen as a defeat. Instead, it can be an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for future ministry, as her congregation did by passing on their space and resources to another.

This conversation was a reminder that leadership, especially in the church, often calls us to make difficult choices. But it also calls us to be faithful in those moments, trusting that God’s work continues—even when it looks different from what we expected.

If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, I encourage you to do so. Lorrin’s experience will challenge and inspire anyone who’s wrestled with leading a church in challenging times.

Keywords: church closure, dying churches, Rev. Lorrin Radzik, church leadership, pastoral challenges, church decline, leaving a legacy, navigating church decline, church revitalization, faith and leadership.