Study: 1 percent of churches close doors annually

DURHAM, N.C. — An average of 1 percent of religious congregations shut their doors each year, which is a lower closure rate than other organizations, according to a new study.

The finding, published in the June issue of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, means that about 10 of every 1,000 U.S. congregations end their operations each year.

Researchers from Duke University and the University of Arizona found that disbanded congregations tended to have fewer adult participants than active congregations, with a median size of 50 compared to 269 in active ones. They also learned that congregations where conflict prompted some people to leave in the previous two years were much more likely to disband than active congregations.