Ohio is no stranger to a phenomenon common across the country – a decline in the size and vibrancy of in-town, mainline denominational Christian congregations. And, with the shrinking of people and finances, many church buildings are closing their doors and facing an uncertain future.

The challenges of maintaining large, open worship spaces is a daunting one in the face of dwindling resources. The national group Partners for Sacred Spaces works with denominational bodies to teach local congregations about the importance of regular maintenance, as well as to encourage them to think creatively about the full potential of their church buildings.

When a decision is made to close and to vacate a church building, congregations often find themselves weighing options closely – particularly the question of whether or not to sell a building for non-religious uses. Some groups, such as the 200-year old congregation of First Baptist Church in Lebanon, decide to transfer buildings to their regional denominational bodies to make that determination. While some buildings become home to new congregations, others find their ways to adaptive reuse. As profiled in a recent Cleveland Plain Dealer article, in Cleveland Heights a former Presbyterian Church sanctuary now functions as a local youth gymnasium. Others in Ohio have become museums, restaurants, art galleries, theatres, housing and even retail space. The Bar of Modern Art, for instance, is now housed in the former First Baptist Church on East Broad Street in downtown Columbus (more info here).

Photo: Urban Outfitters, Cincinnati, housed in the former Third Protestant Memorial Church - merfam/Creative Commons License