When God Left the Building (NR)

synopsis

A pervasive part of the American fabric is fraying and decaying before our eyes. The church is withering. Though the vast majority (77%) of Americans identify themselves as Christians, they have largely stopped attending church. Less than 20% of the population now makes it to church in a typical week. Some 4000 churches are closing every year. It's a major and unprecedented social upheaval. The film follows a church that has seen its attendance plunge from 900 to 40. In addition to external cultural factors that affect all churches, this church is disintegrating from the inside from a variety of human storms. A pastor who doesn't know who or what God is. Fights over petty things. A faction of angry ex-members that devises a plan to take over the church. Throughout the story, cameras also visit other dying churches-as well as innovative new forms of church that are thriving. These range from a ministry in a Pennsylvania pub to an outreach in Los Angeles that brings joy to skid-row moms. By the end of the film, viewers will experience hope and a refreshing glimpse into how faith may be pursued in the future.