New documentary spotlights decline of the church in America

The documentary film, titled “When God Left the Building,” will be screened on Sunday, March 1st at 2 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2305 San Marino Road, Sidney. Following the film, Holy Trinity, will host a 20-minute live discussion.

The film reveals the decline of the American church and focuses on the current spiritual climate.

“The American church as we know it is dying,” said producer Thom Schultz. “What was once the heart and soul of the community is going away. We wondered why, and we wondered what’s next.”

According to Schultz, the majority of churches across the country are in a state of decline. He said weekly church attendance has dropped to 20 percent of the population. This trend has resulted in the closing of 4,000 churches per year, he said.

The filmmakers spent three years documenting a church that saw its attendance plunge from 900 to 40. “It was a heart-wrenching mash-up of societal upheaval, spiritual confusion and human conflict,” Schultz said.

The film also prominently features the unconventional work of churches and organizations that are actively doing things differently and outside of the traditional church building.

A preview of the film is available at WhenGodLefttheBuilding.com.

The film was produced by Group Productions, a Colorado media company.

Questions about the documentary may be directed to Pastor Dave Hall at (308) 254-3124 or via email at [email protected]