Close third of Ottawa Anglican churches: report
Many rural, shrinking congregations should be taken off life support, study says
Jennifer Green, The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, August 03, 2007

If the Anglican diocese of Ottawa wants to get more people into its churches, it should consider closing or putting a Do Not Resuscitate order on roughly one third of them, says a strategic planning report.

Of 131 churches in the diocese, eight should close, mostly seldom-used rural chapels. Another 34 have limited growth potential, or aging congregations, or both, and should be "allowed to live out their natural life cycle, but all support systems be removed" -- in other words, no new debt, no budget top-ups from the diocese, and no part-time clergy who end up with a full-time workload.
Four more churches are in "vulnerable" urban locations, meaning they are tucked away in residential areas, or landlocked by busy streets, making it hard for passersby to see them, much less get a sense of what they might have to offer. the rest