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15,000 Churches Could Close This Year Amid Religious Shift In U.S.

Published

4 months ago

October 5, 2025

The U.S. could see an unprecedented 15,000 churches shut their doors this year, far more than the few thousand expected to open, according to denominational reports and church consultants.

Why it matters:

The unprecedented contraction, expected to continue over the next decade, risks leaving gaps in communities nationwide — particularly rural ones, where churches often are crucial providers of food aid, child care and disaster relief.

The big picture:

The decline of traditional brick-and-mortar churches comes as a record number of Americans (29%) are identifying as religiously unaffiliated, and as 62% identify as Christians — down from 78% in 2007, according to the Pew Research Center.

At the same time, mostly non-denominational megachurches — and evangelical Christianity in general — are an increasing influence on American life, driven by charismatic leaders, sympathetic politicians and social media.

These colliding trends have shaken the nation’s longtime religious footing: There are fewer and fewer communities built around local churches, but rising pressure from conservative citizens and government officials to inject more religion into public schools, settings and institutions.

By the numbers:

The record number of church closings forecast this year stems from struggles many churches face — including retaining full-time pastors, said Thom Rainer, a former president of LifeWay Christian Resources, an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention that provides resources for churches.

In a widely shared Baptist Courier piece, Rainer — a consultant on church health — said that waves of church closings are coming, and that another 15,000 U.S. churches will move from full- to part-time time pastors.

The National Council of Churches estimates that 100,000 U.S. churches across denominations will close during the next several years, confirming Rainer’s analysis.

That would amount to roughly a quarter of the nation’s 350,000 to 400,000 churches today.
Zoom in: Mainline Protestant denominations such as Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran represent nearly all the church closings, said Ryan Burge, a political scientist who writes the “Graphs About Religion” Substack.

The closures mark a shift away from once-powerful denominations in the U.S. that brought people of diverse political views together, said Burge, author of the upcoming “The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us.”

Burge said that as a result, many communities are left with empty church buildings that can be difficult to sell because they often are next to historic cemeteries.

The intrigue:

The number of Catholic churches also appears to be declining, partly because of the continuing following from priest abuse lawsuits, said Andrew Chesnut, the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan chair in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Baltimore’s Catholic Archdiocese, the nation’s oldest, is slashing its churches by about two-thirds, citing shrinking attendance and aging buildings, according to the AP.

“I think the only ones who have shown some dynamism lately on the American Christian landscape are these non-denominational, usually charismatic megachurches,” Chesnut said.

Evangelical megachurches, however, tend to have fluid memberships despite their growing influence in Republican Party politics, Burge said.

“The large churches have a lot of churn. A lot of new people come in every year, but a lot of people leave too, because they never build strong and deep ties.”

Their success is based on one or two leaders, and a death or scandal can damage or bring an end to that church, he said.

Megachurches could take membership hits in the future if younger Americans feel they’re being forced to accept religion in public spaces, Chesnut predicted.

“I think evangelicals are going to pay the price for so closely hitching their wagon to MAGA,” he said.

“If you’re making kids pray in school, as I’ve learned anytime I make my kids do something, they’ll do the opposite.”

Go deeper: Americans continue to lose their religion as the GOP pushes it

Non-religious ‘nones’ are on the rise, study shows our lawmakers are more religious than we are.

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News

Sultan backs Sharia law in Oyo, Ekiti

Published

7 hours ago

January 31, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has expressed support for the establishment of an Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel in Ekiti and Oyo states.

But the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, condemned the attempt to introduce Sharia in the South West, saying it is alien to Yoruba culture and religious beliefs.

The 20th Sultan of Sokoto and the spiritual leader of Nigeria’s Muslims also expressed concern about the spate of intolerance and disregard for the rights of Muslims, especially in the southern part of the country. He noted that Muslims in the South West had been denied their constitutional rights to a Shariah Court of Appeal.

In a statement, yesterday, by the Deputy National Legal Adviser of NSCIA, Haroun Eze, the traditional ruler lamented the unwarranted resistance and objections from political and traditional quarters to the Muslim community’s efforts to establish an Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel in Ekiti.

He said this was coming barely a few weeks after the announcement on the inauguration of a Shariah panel in Oyo generated “unnecessary anxiety, thereby leading to its indefinite postponement.

“The Independent Arbitration Panel, which is a voluntary platform designed solely for the resolution of civil and marital disputes among consenting Muslims, was to fill the inexplicable vacuum created by the failure of the political elite in the South West to establish Sharia courts, as allowed by the Nigerian Constitution, in South West, despite the huge population of Muslims in the region,” Sultan said.

According to the monarch, such scenarios as the denial of the rights of female students to wear the Hijab despite a Supreme Court judgment, are nothing but calculated attempts to prevent Muslims in the region from practising their faith.

Speaking during the 2025 Oodua festival at Enuwa Square, Ile-Ife, Osun State, yesterday, Adams stressed that the introduction of Sharia was to destabilise the Yoruba land by religious fanatics and fundamentalists. He emphasised that while Saudi Arabia is an Islamic kingdom where Sharia aligns with religious teachings and is widely accepted, Nigeria remains a nation where the constitution guarantees freedom of religion.

According to him, Saudi Arabia is a good example of an Islamic kingdom that practises Sharia law according to the Holy Quran. He said: “The Saudis also adhere strictly to the law, and they are happy because Sharia law is in tandem with their religious beliefs and teachings. But Nigeria is a secular nation where the constitution allows every citizen to practise whatever religion they believe in freely without any intimidation.

“Sharia law is alien to our culture and religious beliefs in Yoruba land; therefore, those religious fanatics masquerading as Muslims should stay away from acts that could set Yorubaland on fire.”

Meanwhile, berating the recent influx of Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the South West, Adams called on the federal and state government to intensify efforts to tackle insecurity in the region. Adams further expressed the readiness of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) to partner other security groups in curbing the scourge in Yoruba land.

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News

Statement on the Rejection of Sharia Law in South-West Nigeria

Published

7 hours ago

January 31, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The Sultan of Sokoto and the leadership of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) must clearly understand this position: the Yoruba people of South-West Nigeria do not need, want, or accept Sharia law as a governing system in their land.

Yoruba society is uniquely pluralistic. In most families across the South-West, Christians, Muslims, and traditional worshippers coexist peacefully under the same roof. This interwoven family structure is one of our greatest strengths. Introducing Sharia law into such a setting would place families on a collision course, fracture long-standing relationships, and undermine the shared values that have sustained our people for generations.

It is important to ask a fundamental question: Is it compulsory or by force that Muslims must live under Sharia law? Many Muslims across the world practice their faith peacefully without imposing religious law on diverse societies. Faith should be a personal conviction, not a political weapon.

Any attempt—direct or indirect—to Islamise the South-West against the will of its people will be firmly resisted through lawful and collective means, because the Yoruba are not a monolithic religious bloc. Our philosophies, cultures, and worldviews are distinct. We cherish family unity, tolerance, and mutual respect above religious extremism.

Let it be clearly stated: the Yoruba are not religious bigots, nor are we extremists. We are a civilized people who value progress, coexistence, and peace. We reject anything that may plunge our land into chaos, division, or bloodshed. Therefore, those advocating Sharia governance should restrict such ambitions to regions where it is openly accepted. The people of the South-West are not interested.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state, and the implementation of Sharia law as a state system directly contradicts the principles of secularism, equal citizenship, and fundamental human rights. If Nigeria intends to remain united, no religious legal system should be imposed on unwilling populations.

Furthermore, the practical outcomes of Sharia implementation in parts of Northern Nigeria raise serious concerns. These include:

Persistent insecurity and terrorism

Banditry and mass kidnapping

Ethnic and religious tensions

Widespread poverty and hunger

High levels of illiteracy

Deep social inequality and segregation

These realities cannot be ignored, and they offer no justification for exporting such a system to the South-West.

To our Muslim brothers and sisters in the OduduwaYorubaterritory: peaceful coexistence is our collective responsibility. We must not allow the mistakes and crises of other regions to destabilize our homeland. The Yoruba way has always been dialogue, tolerance, and mutual respect—and we intend to preserve it.

Leave the Oduduwa Yoruba land as it is. Let us live in peace.

Ire oooo.

Signed
Comrade Oyegunle Oluwamayowa Omotoyole (Omayor)
Oduduwa Nation Home-Based Youth Leader.

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News

Sultan-Led NSCIA Slams Southern Resistance To Sharia Panels Establishment

Published

7 hours ago

January 31, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has expressed concern over alleged intolerance and disregard for the rights of Muslims, especially in the southern part of the country.

A statement signed by NSCIA deputy national legal adviser, Imam Haron Muhammed Eze, on Wednesday, said the most recent of this development emanated from Ekiti state where the efforts of the Muslim community to set up an Independent Sharia (Arbitration) panel was met with resistance and objections from both political and traditional quarters.

It added that this came a few weeks after the announcement of the inauguration of a Sharia panel in Oyo state generated anxiety and led to its indefinite postponement.

The Independent Sharia Panel is a voluntary platform designed solely for resolution of civil and marital disputes among consenting Muslims.

According to the statement, the Arbitration and the Sharia Court of Appeal, just like the Customary Court of Appeal are provided in section 275 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) of the Republic of Nigeria confirming the legality of both initiatives.

It added that the NSCIA strongly supported the establishment of the Independent Sharia Arbitration Panel in Ekiti and Oyo States for the intended purpose, especially where the Muslims in the states have been denied their constitutional right to a Sharia Court of Appeal in all the states of South-West Nigeria.

The group, while disapproving of the Supreme Court judgement, said their judgements are nothing but calculated attempts to prevent Muslim in the region from practicing their faith.

The NSCIA stressed that the council cannot find any legal justification for the resistance. It called on governors and traditional authorities in the southern part of the country, particularly the South-West, to ensure that the constitutional rights of Muslims in their respective domains are preserved and protected.

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