When is a church not a church?

With the rising popularity of cremation and the relative ease with which cremated remains can be stored almost anywhere, more and more churches are offering congregants the opportunity to be buried right where they worship.  Other organizations, such as colleges and sports teams have followed suit as well.

If you are not concerned with the permanence of the arrangement, this type of burial might be a fine way to show support for your church or your team.  If you’d like a burial place that will be there for future generations of your family, however, you might want to think again.

The surprising truth is that large numbers of churches are being abandoned across the country.  Some, like the church pictured from Buffalo, NY, are simply left to deteriorate.  Others, such as the one pictured below from Ocean County, NJ, are turned into a business, such as a liquor store, restaurant, hotel, concert hall or antique store.

In Monroe County alone, there are currently no less than 7 churches currently for sale.  Many others have already been sold.  For example, you can clearly recognize the former purpose of the building when you dine at Maria’s Mexican Restaurant at 75 West Main St. in Webster.

So, when considering a burial location for yourself and your family you may want to consider the likely longevity of the organization providing the burial site.  Even though churches in general have been around forever, there is no guarantee that any one church will last that long.  A regulated cemetery, however, is much more likely to be around for eternity.  In New York State, if the company managing a given cemetery should fail, the local city or town in which it is located is required by law to take it over and maintain it forever.

For more reasons to consider a permanent burial spot for cremated remains of your loved ones, and even your pets, please visit our website.