“With thanks to God First Lutheran Church has accomplished much in its service to the Dayton community for 185 years. Over the years many men and woman made personal sacrifices for this church to grow and flourish,” read a message that went out to the congregation and community. “We celebrate all the talents and skills that built up this community of faith.”
Paul Tober, a council member and volunteer for First Lutheran, said the decision was based off the financial strain of running the church while fewer people attended services.
“We had to close because of attendance going down,” he said.
The church has about 20 people attending Sunday service. At one time, First Lutheran had approximately 2,500 members, Tober said.
He noted attendance is an issue across the board for churches, saying most saw attendance drop following the COVID-19 pandemic.
While many churches, First Lutheran included, offered services via Zoom and on Facebook, attendance didn’t recover once lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Tober also said more people live in the suburbs now and attend services closer to their neighborhood
The church’s last service will be at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. Everyone is welcome to attend.
“You may hold special attachments to this congregation and to this building through baptism, marriages, confirmations, final celebrations of loved ones,” read the community letter. “We will be celebrating your contributions and church memories at our closing service.”
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