For Allison: Narrative Environment Images

Christopher Crawford has a wonderful series of photographs titled "Forgotten Indiana". Before you just completely give up on your church door idea, give his work a look. The vast majority of them are, indeed, examples of narrative environment. There are no people in any of these images, but the story of what happened in each environment is in the details. He also gives a literal narrative that he has written to accompany each photo when you click on it, but these aren't really even necessary. The narrative that we, as audience, construct in our minds based on the details we see in the photograph is the real point. Some of these images are very specifically of doors. See if there's anything here that helps you validate your church door idea.

There's also Joe Miller's series of "Places" photographs, which have some relationship to what you're talking about, I think. Check them out HERE.

So, before you give up completely, look at what others have done with similar concepts. THEN make up your mind.