One of the oldest churches in the Miami Valley will hold its last service this weekend.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00 , the First Lutheran Church has sat on the corner of First and Wilkinson Streets in downtown Dayton for nearly 200 years, but it can no longer afford to stay open.
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First Lutheran Church Council Member Paul Tober said the decision to close has been emotional.
Tober’s family has been attending this church for over 40 years.
“It was a congregation. We were looking for the people, and that’s what drew us to this church,” Tober said.
The church started to see a drop in attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic. They started having conversations about closing shortly after.