The Problematic Church Building: History, Authority and the Liturgy of Church Closure in Australia, 1973-1998

Abstract

Church closure in Australia is often a disturbing process even if handled well. Attachment to a building, especially if it is an historic one, is difficult to sever. The formal and symbolic separation is achieved through liturgy. This paper discusses a sample of liturgies used in Australian Protestant churches that closed between 1973 and 1998. The liturgies address the disturbance of closure by interpreting the history of the building and its congregation in theological terms. In the process, the authority of the church is reestablished in a climate of fracture and dissolution. In its ultimate purpose, the liturgy of closure resembles a Christian funeral. At the point of 'death', the liturgy provides a means to return to God.