PCUSA is quickly bleeding off its membership at an ever-increasing rate that is now at 5% a year. There goes another 4,000+ members!
In 1984 they had 3.1 million members. In 2013, 1.76 million.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyterian_Church_%28U.S.A.%29
The convention in Detroit of this year has brought this to a head; Gramsian Marxists have wormed their way up the hierarchy and now have the institution under their control. It mirrors what's going on in the nation as a whole.
I attend a fairly conservative (for the PCUSA) church and there are people interested in getting out from under them. The grounds and building is just one issue-- although I think the institutional superstructure would think twice about assuming ownership of so much property in the current market. Add this to the equation: local building codes could come into to play when the keys are turned over. In much of the Northeast, renovations could reach to a million or more. My guess is that the Institution would be far more amenable to an equitable settlement if the congregations pushed back.
The other issue is the pastor's retirement. I don't think they should be able to renege on a contract, but they're bound to try if the pastor stays with his now-independent congregation.
I'm not sure how that would work out. Does anyone know?