Roughly 80 percent of the 350,000 Protestant churches in the United States have plateaued or are declining. Many of these churches have empty facilities in desperate need of a vibrant ministry. Among the 20 percent of the growing vibrant congregations across the United States, many are in desperate need of space. This reality is catalyzing a new kind of “mission-driven” merger that is recycling old church buildings. Already one out of three multi-site campuses are the result of a church merger. In addition there is a pastor succession tidal wave coming because so many Protestant pastors are approaching retirement. The next ten years will see an annual mass exodus of senior pastors retiring or leaving their position to pursue other ministry options. Who will fill these pulpits? The multi-site model will play an increasing role in this process. I predict that we will see more senior pastors coming from campus pastors and through church mergers in the next decade. The merger and succession trends present an opportunity to re-cycle and redeem a huge inventory of existing church buildings to meet the expectations of church goers today. The church buildings of the twenty-first century will require more high-tech and intimate worship settings, high quality community gathering spaces, and cutting-edge children’s environments that are open, colorful and secure.- Pillars of The Earth Revisited
