How One Pastor Is Helping Struggling Churches Keep Their Doors Open NYT | Top Stories By: Alyson Krueger 4 January 2025 at 18:01 Thousands of churches around the country close every year. In Brooklyn, one pastor is trying to help struggling parishes keep their doors open. © Timothy O'Connell for The New York TimesThe Rev. Dr. Katrina D. Foster, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint.