The faithful see both crisis and opportunity as churches close across the country

Pastor Douglas Theobald, who has been at Struthers United Methodist Church for more than a decade, poses for a portrait on Sunday at the church in Struthers, Ohio. (Amber N. Ford for NPR)

When Pastor Douglas Theobald steps to the pulpit at Struthers United Methodist Church this Sunday, it will likely be the last religious service in its 112-year history.

Over the years, Struthers UMC has weathered the boom and bust cycles of the Youngstown, Ohio, suburb. In the 1960s, when the steel industry was at its height, it was common to see as many as 250 people in the pews on any given Sunday. But Theobald, who started preaching there in 2009, has presided over a congregation in slow decline. Today, services attract only a few dozen, mostly older, congregants.