If I were a religious man, I would start to worry, considering how many houses of worship are either falling down under the own weight, or being torn down by the wrecking ball. Either this is a very sorry state of affairs for the religious community, or for some, a warning that Armageddon is upon us!

I am talking of course about the latest news that another historic Troy church is about to bite the dust, and one in Halfmoon has already been given the green light to come down.

In June 2000, a church on 5th Avenue in Columbus Circle met the wrecking ball. The 160-year-old building was condemned by the city when it was found to be structurally unsound. You may remember that last year in Lansingburgh, the 133-year-old church operated by The Amazing Grace Assembly of God, at Fifth Avenue and 101st Street, was demolished because a roof leak was never attended to early on. In 2002, the governing board of Luke's Episcopal Church in Mechanicville on South Main Street gave it the death notice. Last week the Woodside Presbyterian Church in South Troy was given the same notice.

It does not have to come to this. Much of the fault lies with these dwindling congregations, often of a faith not of the original builders. They simply do not maintain the basic upkeep, or can afford it. They are often small compared to the size of the church's original congregation. I suppose perhaps they are waiting for divine intervention to save them. Many of the Catholic churches that have been abandoned are inexcusable. If the church was not paying out millions for sex suits, they could have taken that money and kept their churches in better shape.

In the case of Woodside, there may be a silver lining, since Henry Burden and Erastus Corning had the sense to put in a deed restriction. If the church stopped functioning as such, the Burden of Corning families have first grabs. It appears that one side of the Burden family may come to the rescue. But the blame lies fully with this congregation. They knew for years the building was eroding away and took no action, except now they want to unload it.

There are cases where these houses of worship can be recycled. In Gansevoort, a church built in 1838 was turned into a theater. Another similar event in took place in West Sand Lake last year.

In 2001, the Universal Baptist Church building on Washington Street in Saratoga Springs had 70-foot-tall supports installed to reinforce trusses that were in danger of collapsing

Last year, the Community United Methodist Church on New Scotland Road struck a deal with Sprint PCS partner, US Unwired, to allow them to place 4 foot-long antennas inside the windowsills of the church's steeple. The church gets a monthly fee (reportedly $1,000 a month) for use of the site.

St. Anthony's Church In Albany's Mansion neighborhood has become an arts center. In Cohoes, St. John's Episcopal Church is now a public library. The much publicized saving of Albany's St. Joseph's Church by the City and Historic Albany Foundation is a good example of how government and non profits can work together.

This brings me to the latest fiasco in Halfmoon, which appears to be reminiscent of the battle between the Hatfield and McCoy's. The Town and the owner of the church simply do not like each other. This Greek Revival Methodist Church, 152 years old, is an integral part of the small Crescent community that formed after the opening of the Erie Canal. I visited the site last week and I have seen churches that have been saved that were in worse shape than this one.

At a time when communities are scrambling to save their historic resources, the Town's insistence to rid the area of this historic church building is beyond common sense. Clearly there is a way to stabilize this small building rather than tear it down.

Historic Boston, Inc., over the past six years has helped 35 churches in inner city neighborhoods though a matching grant program from the Federal Save America's Treasures program. New York State has a Sacred Sites grant. Partners for Sacred Places (www.sacredplaces.org) is a national non sectarian and non profit organization devoted to helping churches sustain buildings, and New York Landmarks Conservancy (www.nylandmarks.org/) gives out grants. Have any of these organizations been approached? Demolition should be the last resort when all others avenues have been explored. In the case of Halfmoon, it hasn't.

If the Town continues its arrogant and unbending approach, I would suggest that after they tear the church down, they go right ahead and change the name of their town from Halfmoon to Halfwit. It will serve them well.