Dedicated churches and places of worship which are no longer in use are decommissioned. Once it has been decommissioned, the site becomes a regular building that can be assigned to a different purpose. 

Divine service to decommission a church or a place of worship

Decommissioning takes place during a divine service with the dispensation of sacraments. This final divine service should normally be conducted by the Apostle. The Apostle can delegate the decommissioning to other ministers with a priestly ministry.

As a rule, this divine service includes a look back. Content from the congregational chronicles can be read out.

In conclusion, gratitude is expressed to all those who have participated in church life. If the decommissioning of the congregation is associated with an amalgamation into another congregation, the reinstatement of ministers can also take place in this divine service.

The closing prayer of the decommissioning service should include the following points:

• thanks that the congregation was able to gather in this building, and that it was always a place of refuge from everyday cares and burdens
• gratitude that the presence of the triune God was felt here in word, sacrament, and blessing
• the plea that the faith of the congregation’s members may be strengthened and that they may remain protected in their new congregation or, if applicable, the plea for blessed congregational life in the new church building.

The closing prayer is concluded with “Amen”.

This is followed by the decommissioning with the following words:
“In the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I decommission this place of worship. Henceforth, it is no longer a place where the Holy Spirit is active. May the peace of God continue to guide the congregation on their way. Amen.”

The decommissioning is carried out without the gesture of blessing. This is directly followed by the benediction and the threefold “Amen”.

If it is a regional custom, the ministers can carry the Bible (symbol of God’s word) and the communion chalices (symbol of the sacraments) out of the decommissioned church following the final musical contribution.