The following image illustrates the dramatic decline in total religious construction spending in the United States since 2002.
So What?
The amount spent on construction has trended downward for the last decade. While a slowdown during a recession is expected, this is something far more significant. This year’s religious construction expenditures are on pace to be less than 50% of what was spent in 2002. Many church budgets are flat or declining and many have halted all capital campaigns as the result of giving trends (for more on this see Less Religious Charitable Giving). Unless trends shift, it is unlikely that construction will increase dramatically in the near future (also the term foreclosure increasingly applies to churches – more on that here).
- When did your local congregation last spend a significant amount of money on construction? Is any future construction planned? (If so, is it on hold indefinitely as a result of the current situation?)
- Do you expect spending on religious construction will be flat, rise or fall over the next 10 years? Why?