- cross-posted to:
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- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
Summary
Churches across the U.S. are grappling with dwindling attendance and financial instability, forcing many to close or sell properties.
The Diocese of Buffalo has shut down 100 parishes since the 2000s and plans to close 70 more. Nationwide, church membership has dropped from 80% in the 1940s to 45% today.
Some churches repurpose their land to survive, like Atlanta’s First United Methodist Church, which is building affordable housing.
Others, like Calcium Church in New York, make cutbacks to stay open. Leaders warn of the long-term risks of declining community and support for churches.
A lot of American Protestant chuches already are music venues in the sense that they hold 2 or 3 services a day, which involve 15-45 minute musical sessions, with mics, amps, audio leveling/equalizing equipment, etc.
These are the ones I am referring to.
No, not the insane, literally stadium sized mega churches.
Just your run of the mill, Protestant chuch serving a few hundred people, built in the last 20 years in America.
Plenty of these are built in the middle of residential neighborhoods.
With zoning laws… these of course vary widely, but generally, as long as you aren’t playing music outside of basically daylight hours, you are fine.
I’ve even actually seen some definct churches converted into night clubs, but that is the scenario where zoning laws and permits become more of a hassle.
As far as just… a daytime, small to medium music venue?
Probably any defunct church that was originally designed to accomodate daytime, amped up worship services, or retrofitted for such, is already built according to relevant noise regulations.
… Also, you can have a music venue without a liquor liscense.
Unless you mean like a cafe or restaurant that also happens to have live music sometimes not really. It’s not really financially viable. A 50-200 person venue that doesn’t serve alcohol and only has shows during the day is not a niche that exists.