At many churches, pandemic hits collection plates, budgets
Biltmore United Methodist Church is for sale.
Already financially strapped because of shrinking membership and a struggling preschool, the congregation was dealt a crushing blow by the coronavirus. Attendance plummeted, with many staying home or switching to other churches that stayed open the whole time. Gone, too, is the revenue the church formerly got from renting its space for events and meetings.
“Our maintenance costs are just exorbitant,” said the Rev. Lucy Robbins, senior pastor of the church in Asheville. “And we just don’t have the resources financially that we used to have to be able to do the kind of ministry work that we would like.”