Church Attendance Declining

Northwestern Ontario churches are feeling the pinch with smaller congregations and an aging population.

Elaine Sauer is the Bishop for Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario's Evangelical Lutheran Church, and says many youth are moving away from their small communities.

"In the isolated and rural communities, young people are moving away anyway," says Sauer. "We're becoming much more urbanized people and that's being reflected in the churches as well."

Sauer notes the Fort Frances Lutheran Zion church is actually one of few churches doing well with a strong congregation of both young and old members.