The Wheler Street Moravian Church has been part of the east Manchester community since 1899, but falling numbers and funds have forced the 'heartbreaking' decision.
The Openshaw congregation will hold its final service on Sunday at 2pm.
Church secretary and organist John Burkitt, 74, has been going since he was 12.
He said: "It was a very difficult decision which took about 18 months to reach.
"The community is gutted but the smaller the congregation gets, the less income we have and with bills and costs rising it has become too difficult.
"Sadly, there is a lack of commitment from people when it comes to church nowadays because there's so much more to take up their time.
"It will be a real loss for future generations in the area. The last service will be emotional for a lot of people."
The Moravian Church is a Protestant denomination founded in the 14th century in Bohemia and Moravia, now the Czech Republic - it has close to 1m followers worldwide and the Wheler Street church is one of five in its Lancashire district.
Many of the members will now transfer to Fairfield Moravian Church in Droylsden.
When it first opened, around 80 people came to services and 200 to the Sunday School.
The first Moravian scout troop started there in 1912 and was among 20 groups to hold weekly meetings at the church.
The current red brick building opened in 1929 but in recent years the congregation has dipped to around 30 members.
Ten years ago the church made a failed bid for lottery cash and later sold part of the building to be converted into homes.
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Sad to say but I guess it will become a mosque or carpet salesroom.
As with everything else today we know wich way the place is going,takeaways,mosques,carpet/clothing warehouses. Our once great country is changing to a place i dont recognise or want to really..I dont think we fought two wars and struggled for generations only to end up living poorer than the people who fought the wars..and i dont mean financially poor.Weve lost communities and our family way of life.
I hear they are having a dance in the church hall to celebrate.
It's advertised as "The Last Tango in Parish"
I used to pass this this church 10 years ago. That big round window would lift my spirit. wheeler street was awful then. Just a little farther up the road you will find the Morovian Settlement. It is beautiful.go see.
This church will be sadly missed to my knowledge there is now only one church left in the area. Brownies, Guides and Rangers have been meeting there since 1924 and have now moved on to Hr. Openshaw Community School thanks to Mr. McAlister the head teacher who offered us the school hall to continue our meetings.
My grandparents,and parents all attended Wheler St Moravian church before me.
Ace Shakespeare
we have greater choice and opportunity than ever before, in this country at the moment.
we no longer need be defferential to our so called social betters and have more chance to move and try new things than ever before; this freedom comes at a cost, as it means people have the freedom to behave i ways you may not like