The plight of Tallangatta’s Anglicans who are contemplating giving up the struggle to keep their church open typifies the crisis affecting mainstream churches.

It’s a complex issue involving a range of factors, from a general population drift away from rural areas to the ongoing revelations about past abuse by priests and people in religious orders.

Paradoxically, faith-based independent schools are growing at the expense of the public system, but this isn’t giving the churches new worshippers.

Of all factors, a failure to bring young members into ageing congregations is the most damaging, though it must be said that many of the Pentecostal churches are much more successful at this and consequently see growth.

For Anglicans, Catholics and the main non-conformist denominations, a shortage of priests or pastors makes a bad situation worse as without local leadership they will flounder.

The Tallangatta church, once the largest in town, is doing the right thing by asking residents if they still want it, but if the support isn’t there, there’s little anyone can do about it.