Should This Church Close Its Doors? Biblical and Practical Guidance for One of the Hardest Ministry Questions
- Brent Madaris
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 18
“Serious question: Do you think there are times a church should close their doors? What would be your reasons?”
This question was recently posed to me in response to a post on church revitalization. It’s a weighty question—and it deserves more than a quick or casual answer. As a pastor and researcher who has spent over four decades in various churches, and as someone who has studied church revitalization academically and practically (with over two decades pastoring struggling churches), I believe this is one of the most important discussions we can have today.
I’ve seen churches bounce back from disaster, and I’ve also seen churches drift so far that, biblically speaking, they may no longer function as true churches. So, should some churches close their doors? The answer is: sometimes, yes. But let’s be careful. Let’s be biblical. And let’s offer hope.
What the Bible Says About Dying Churches
Scripture gives us clear examples of churches that Jesus Himself rebuked—severely. In Revelation 2–3, Jesus walks among His churches. He praises some, but others He threatens:
“I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”(Revelation 2:5)
“I will spue thee out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:16)
This means that a church can still gather weekly, preach sermons, and hold events, yet be spiritually abandoned by Christ. When the lampstand is removed, what remains is a form without power—a name without life. That’s not something we can revitalize. That’s something that must be repented of, or released entirely.
🛑 When Should a Church Close?
During my doctoral research, I reviewed several frameworks that deal with the hard reality of church death. Wayne Rogers, in his dissertation Overcoming Church Euthanasia, lists biblical and theological reasons why a church may need to close:
It no longer preaches the gospel.
It has become a false church, embracing heresy or rejecting Christ’s authority.
It ceases to glorify God in character or practice.
It is marked by entrenched sin, with no willingness to repent.
Christ has removed His presence—a candlestick removed (Rev. 2:5).
I echoed this in my own writing:
“Reviving a church that Christ has removed or forsaken can be a destructive and debilitating lesson.”
This isn’t just a spiritual issue. There are practical signals too—chronic division, doctrinal drift, moral failure, zero gospel witness, and unteachable leadership.
But—and this is crucial—not every troubled church is beyond help.spiritual discernment is crucial!
When Revitalization Is Still Possible
One of the most gripping findings in my research came from a Midwestern church I studied. This church had:
$1.7 million in embezzled debt
A pastor and wife sentenced to federal prison
A ministry in receivership and bankruptcy
A community reputation in shambles
It made the news. It was the talk of the town. And yet—by God’s grace, it was revitalized.
New leadership stepped in. The people humbled themselves. Slowly, prayerfully, the church began to rebuild. Today, it continues as a functioning, faithful gospel witness.
The lesson? No situation is too far gone if God still has a purpose for that church and the people are willing to be led.
Should We Revitalize or Release? A Practical Evaluation Tool
In light of all this, we need a clear and prayerful framework to help churches and their leaders evaluate where they stand. Not every church in decline should be closed. But neither should every church be automatically preserved for tradition’s sake.
That’s why I’ve developed a tool—based on:
My own doctoral research,
Existing church health inventories,
Biblical examples and warnings.
The tool includes 20+ diagnostic questions grouped into key categories:
Gospel Fidelity
Spiritual Health
Leadership Integrity
Community Witness
Sustainability Factors
Historical Foundation
Each item can be scored, and the final total gives a helpful indication of whether a church is:
Strongly revitalization-worthy,
Borderline and in need of serious intervention,
Or dangerously near (or past) the point of needing to be shut down or replanted.
I’ve made this checklist available as a printable PDF and a digital scoring guide.
🙏 Final Thoughts: Survival Isn’t the Goal—Faithfulness Is
We don’t exist to keep buildings open or preserve memories. We exist to glorify God, proclaim Christ, and make disciples. Sometimes, closing a church is the most honorable thing we can do if its gospel witness is gone.
But many more times, God is still willing to breathe life into what appears to be dead—if we are willing to obey, repent, and follow the Spirit’s leading.
I hope this article provides biblical clarity, practical help, and spiritual encouragement. There is no shame in facing hard realities. The greater shame would be pretending all is well when it is not.
The Church belongs to Jesus. And He knows how to close, cleanse, or call back to life—whichever the case may be.
Comments