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The Final Service

The Final Service

By: Mateo Schimpf
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Church membership in the U.S. has fallen off a cliff and pastors across the country are trying to save their congregations from shrinking to zero. Why have so many people left Christianity and can pastors do anything to save their churches from dying?

Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • EP4. Stigma
    May 1 2025

    A church in decline tries to reinvent itself, and its young members struggle with how to talk about Christianity.


    The Final Service is written and produced by Mateo Schimpf with additional writing and reporting from Ray Suarez. It's edited by Jarrod Sport with production support from Elize Manoukian. It's made possible with generous support by the Henry Luce Foundation and is distributed by PRX.

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    56 mins
  • EP3. Chicago
    Apr 24 2025

    Julian Deshazier is a rapper and a pastor. That sounds like it would be appealing to kids from his old neighborhood on the South Side. But getting them to show up to church on Sundays isn't easy.


    The Final Service is written and produced by Mateo Schimpf with additional writing and reporting from Ray Suarez. It's edited by Jarrod Sport. It's made possible with generous support by the Henry Luce Foundation and is distributed by PRX.

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    34 mins
  • EP2. Little Lithuania
    Apr 17 2025

    Christian Allyn is proud to be Lithuanian. So when he found out that the archbishop was going to close his Lithuanian church in Waterbury, Connecticut, he decided to step in. Can his appeal save St. Joseph’s Church?


    The Final Service is written and produced by Mateo Schimpf with additional writing and reporting from Ray Suarez. It's edited by Jarrod Sport with production support from Elize Manoukian, Sienna Barnes and Joshua Dudley. It's made possible with generous support by the Henry Luce Foundation and is distributed by PRX.

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    32 mins

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