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TechnoratiResearchers suggested that congregations are able to live because they are minimalists and require little funding to launch and survive. They are also flexible and adaptive and can easily reduce congregational activities and goals to a bare minimum, the team noted.
“Congregations can continue in this way for a long time, perhaps until a precipitating event like a major conflict pushes them over the edge."
Anderson believes a congregation's survival may be linked to the commitment of the members.
“If you’ve got a group of even only 10 people who are deeply committed to the organization whether it’s because they’ve gone all their lives or got married there or had their kids baptized there, it’s amazing what a congregation can pull from its membership," she said.
More research is required to determine exactly why congregations are able to "limp along and survive," as Anderson noted, while other organizations die.
The findings were published in the June issue of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion in an article titled "Dearly Departed: How Often Do Congregations Close?" Another comprehensive article is expected to be published in December.
