Minnesota’s mainline Christian denominations face unprecedented declines, altering communities and traditions celebrated for generations

By Jim on

“The rising toll is evident in rural, urban and suburban churches across the state. St. Paul’s On the Hill Episcopal Church on prestigious Summit Avenue was recently sold to a developer after more than a century of religious service. Bethany Lutheran Church in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis held its “holy closure” ceremony last fall. St. Michael Catholic Church in West St. Paul celebrated its last mass 18 months ago. Mainline Protestant churches have been hit the hardest.