It was 2009 when members of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Temple Hills began to wonder if the church's aging, white population would lead to its demise.

In southern Prince George's County, churches with a traditionally white membership say they are increasing efforts to attract more blacks and other minority members to offset declining congregations that mirror long-term changes in the county's demographics.

Our Saviour's Lutheran, built during the Lutheran church boom in the Washington, D.C., suburbs during the 1950s and '60s, grew to a mostly white population of 300 members until the 1970s, when the county experienced its largest population increase, thanks to baby boomers.

But as more blacks began moving in and whites moved out of the community throughout the '80s, Hakes said, the church began losing as many as 20 members per year. The church now has 35 members, mostly white, with average Sunday service attendance of 20 to 25 people.

Between 1980 and 2008, the county's total population grew from about 665,000 to 826,000, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics. However, during that same period, the percentage of whites dropped from 58 to 23 percent. The African-American population increased from 37 percent in 1980 to 64 percent in 2008.

Beginning in 2005, Our Saviour's Lutheran began aggressively trying to boost its congregation and contributions by pursuing black residents through knocking on doors and creating an additional service on Sundays with gospel music to attract a more diverse congregation, with black and younger members.

But attendance continued to falter, and the church failed to attract a diverse membership or bring large numbers of youths into the congregation, although a small group of black youths attends.

"They're our future," said Ladd Hakes, the church's property chairman. "I'm 67 and I am one of the youngest active members [at the church]."

By 2009, Our Saviour's Lutheran faced the possibility of closure when the church began to fall behind on its bills by as much as $1,000 per month, Hakes said.

To make ends meet, the church opened its building for rental space. Since late 2009, Our Saviour's Lutheran has brought in $5,000 per month by allowing a Baptist church and a Salvadoran congregation to rent space for services.

Breaking the color line isn't always easy, said the Rev. Marc Britt, who heads St. John's Episcopal Church, Broad Creek, in Fort Washington.

"Churches tend to be homogenous," Britt said. "People feel more comfortable coming into a place and seeing people who look like them."