Churches of Christ in Decline?

Recently Bobby Ross, Jr. shared some alarming stats on his Christian Chronicle blog which indicate that Churches of Christ are in decline. Based upon data compiled by 21st Century Christian (the publisher of the Churches of Christ in the United States directory) there are now 102,000 fewer people worshiping in our churches then there were in 2003. Further, the data reveals that over these last nine years 708 of our congregations have shut their doors.

This information puts hard numbers on what many among us have suspected. I know that the majority of the congregations of which I am familiar are smaller than they were just a few years ago.

Based on this information here are a few personal observations:

• Of this 102,000- my guess is that many of  them are in the 20 something age group. I have no hard evidence for this except what I see in churches where I minister and hear from other people.  A huge discussion can be undertaken about why this group is leaving us (post-modern thinking; not grounded enough; natural rebellion of the age, etc.), but there is no denying it. Recently a friend of mine who has a 20 something child (who grew up in a vibrant Church of Christ; involved in youth group activities; summer camp; foreign mission trips; and graduated from one of our universities) told me that she is now worshiping in a community church. She calls Churches of Christ, “old school.”  Whether we like to hear this or not- we must listen and prayerfully address why this group is leaving us. We are having this ongoing discussion at Levy. It remains a challenge.
• Some among us have (in perhaps trying to address this challenge) left behind some of our traditional core values like A cappella singing and restrictions placed on women in public assemblies. These moves have not been without controversy, of course. What some see as simply an evolution of our restoration heritage, others view as an affront to clear biblical teaching. My mention of this is not to enter into a debate about this- just to recognize what has happened. And to ask these questions- have these congregations seen real, significant growth from among the truly unchurched? Has their move to a more ecumenical, contemporary approach to worship and beliefs attracted people- including the 20 somethings? It would be interesting to see if these churches among us are having any greater success.
• Isn’t Jesus still the answer? The first church in Acts had very little of what we recognize as church- buildings, programs, staff, Sunday  morning worship emphasis, etc. yet they penetrated deeply into their culture with the message of Christ to the point of transforming entire cities. Their secret? They lived, breathed and taught Christ, him crucified and resurrected. The more our American culture moves into a post-Christian era, the more it resembles the culture of the first century in which the church then flourished.  Is Christ the center of our message in Churches of Christ? As disciples are we genuinely living out his values in our life in a way that stands in contrast to the world around us? Are we losing our life to find it? Are we proclaiming the Good News of Jesus outside of our church walls? The church grows in the marketplace- not in church buildings. The darker our culture becomes the more brightly the light of Jesus will shine. Our challenge is not to hide this light under a bushel that we keep inside our church buildings.

I love Churches of Christ. I am alarmed at these numbers. I am praying for wisdom and guidance from God on how to be more faithful in proclaiming Jesus as a member of the Church of Christ.

It just  hurts to see us in decline.

“Blessed Are the Peacemakers”

So says the Prince of Peace (See Matthew 5:9). He knows whereof he speaks- having himself brought peace and reconciliation to the Creator and the creation through his blood (Ephesians 2:14-18). Now he seeks a people of peace. Disciples who will share it, honor it and promote it. Who will let this “peace that passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7) reign and overflow to others. Peacemakers are blessed. “They shall be called sons of God,” Jesus says.

This peace stems from the very person of God (1 Thessalonians 4:23). Strife, divisiveness, arguments, dissention, turmoil, factions, grudges, confusion, etc. have no place where he reigns. (God “hates” such- Proverbs 6:19). Nor should any of these define God’s people.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. – Romans 14:19

This is what peacemakers do and their ministry is just as urgently needed now- in and out of the church- as ever.

Peacemakers:

• Seek Solutions.  Like spiritual ambassadors always seeking out a way to let peace rule. Problems always exist. Peacemakers seek to peacefully solve them.
• Promote Harmony.  This is at the heart of peacemaking. Like Scripture teaches, “Finally all of you, live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble” (1 Peter 3:8).
• Generate Goodwill.  The atmosphere created and encouraged by peacemakers is a joy. That is why it is a “beatitude.” It is spiritually healthy and conducive for growth and goodwill.

God blesses all who seek and promote his peace. All who do are lights shining a dark world. All who do are invaluable to God’s kingdom. All who do are sons and daughters of the King!

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. – Romans 12:18

With this blessed attitude we can’t go wrong.  Praise God for the peacemakers!

What We Can Learn From the Baptists

The Southern Baptists just concluded their annual convention in Orlando. Attendance this year was estimated at 11,000 which sounds great until compared to the 45,000 that gathered in 1985.

It seems the Southern Baptists- like most of the rest of us- are suffering from declining numbers, graying members and conflicting philosophies.

The big push at the convention was fueled by their Great Commission Resurgence committee. One supporter of this committee’s recommendations said:

It’s time for Southern Baptists to get out on a limb, to get out of our comfort zone and trust God. … Southern Baptists have a tendency to be full of so much fear. Where is the God who brought us where we are? We’re going to make a decision whether to hold what we’ve got or to take the land. … The bottom line is, we can do it. We can do it now.

That sounds good, but not all agreed. Another who opposed the ideas presented by this committee stated:

Too much emphasis was placed on money and organization and not enough on spiritual renewal.The recommendations are about moving the chairs on the deck of the Titanic as the ship goes down into an icy, watery grave.

Sounds like they are having a bit of a struggle in casting a unified vision. I can relate to that. It is all indicative of the fluid times in which we live. Church as we know it is changing. The “old paths” may serve well those of us comfortable in them, but younger generations no longer are connecting to them. Consider this quote from the convention:

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. The last two years, attendance at the SBC annual meetings has been marked by a noticeable increase in young pastors. Their presence gives the feel that the graying of  the denominaton—or at least its leadership—could be reversing. However, they have given notice that they want change—more hands-on missions, more passion for reaching the lost, more missions in the places where the gospel is not welcome, and a more vigorous, youthful tone from a convention long guided by wealthy older suburban pastors.

If satisfactory change doesn’t come soon, the young bucks will move on. Many feel more comfortable in a nondenominational context, anyway. And there’s another irony. Many historically oriented observers predict the erosion of the Cooperative Program means the SBC will become a much looser, smaller collection of quasi-independent churches 

I find this excerpt fascinating. I see a mirror of this attitude within my circle among the younger crowd. Loyalty to a church even if they were reared in it- is no longer a given. They will no longer just accept things because that is way it has always been done.

We can like it or not, but that is the way it is. Our church will either change, adapt and utilize this younger force for the Lord or they will go somewhere else that will.

If we are smart and visionary we will begin now to embrace this group and the changes they represent within the framework of our church body and theology. We will make a place for them at the table,  listen to their hearts,  focus their energy and help equip them for ministry.

If not, get ready to start seeing our churches shutter their doors.

As the Baptists now acknowledge- the times they are a-changin. If we ignore it,  then we will be passed by and  just be remembered as the church of yesterday.

What Are You Doing this Summer on Sunday Nights?

I once read somewhere about how Sunday night church meetings began- it was all about showing off the new indoor gas lighting!

I don’t know how true this is, but it does- in its own way- demonstrate the conundrum that is often Sunday nights. At any given church usually less than half of those present on Sunday morning return for Sunday nights.

Some claim Sunday nights are simply redundant- just Sunday morning re-do except with much less attention given to preparation. I think this claim has some merits.  Others point to no example in the New Testament for Sunday nights. Some folks just want to stay home and watch football!

Many churches have responded to decreased Sunday attendance by initiating small groups. Numbers usually indicate a higher percentage of participants in small groups verses Sunday-night-go-to-meeting. Small groups do have some strengths and advantages over traditional Sunday night gatherings.

We do small groups at Gateway, but not in the summer.  In the summer we  usually do the traditional thing- maybe with a few twists, but it is about gathering somewhere at our building.

But not this time. Not this summer.

We are experimenting if you will- with a more hands-on practical ministry-oriented summer Sunday night experience. Instead of coming and sitting, we will be going and working. Our summer Sunday nights will consist of visiting, mowing, raking, studying, calling, praying, and helping.  We will have visitation nights, work nights, special project nights, VBS work nights, outreach nights on our summer Sundays. Interspersed will be a few times we gather to encourage each other through reports and praise, but mainly we are aiming to become the Sunday night hands and feet of Jesus in our community.

I am praying for our summer Sunday nights. They could be major kingdom difference makers!

Religious Trends in America

Below is a paper I wrote for my Christian Communication class which I am taking this summer as a part of the M.Min. program at Harding University. Even though it is long for a blogpost, I thought I would share. It would be interesting to hear your feedback.- DD

The three articles I chose to examine for this paper are “The End of Christian America” by Jon Meacham in the April 4, 2009 edition of Time; a “God and Country” segment by Dan Gilgoff from the March 9, 2009 edition of U.S News & World Report; and a report entitled “Most Religious Groups in USA have Lost Ground, Survey Finds” by Cathy Lynn Grossman in the March 17, 2009 edition of the USA Today.

All three of these reports were triggered by the release of the 2009 summary of the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS). According to this survey Christianity is trending downward in America while those claiming no religious affiliation (“nones” as they are called- the highest percentage- 15%- ever recorded by this survey); the number of people identifying with new religious movements such as Wicca; and the number of agnostics/atheists are growing.  The survey discovered that no church in America reported any numerical growth in 2008 and only the Catholic Church (by virtue of immigration) was able to maintain similar numbers from the previous years. Baptists- the second largest Christian group in America- was down to 15.8% of those surveyed from 19.3% in 1990. The news is even worse for mainline Protestant churches. They (Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and the United Church of Christ) are shrinking faster than any other group. Since 1990 the only group that has shown any growth is the evangelicals. Overall though, America is moving away from the Christian brand. As Grossman stated, “When it comes to religion, the USA is now land of the freelancers.”

Each article explored the reasons behind this downward trend which has seen those identifying themselves as Christians drop over 11% in just a generation. Reaction to what many perceive as entrenched and protectionist institutional attitudes and actions among the church is sited as one major reason. The Catholic Church failure to act upon sexual abuse among their clergy is one example of this. This abuse along with the highly publicized sexual and financial scandals of evangelical televangelist has also continued to contribute to America’s loss of faith in her churches. For many the stance of churches not supportive of gay rights and gay marriage, abortion, stem cell research and other highly politicized moral issues have left the impression that Christian churches are out-of-touch with current culture. Other factors such as mobility, the secularization of public education and anti-Christian media-bias are also thrown into the mix.

The term now being used to describe this kind of religious climate or lack thereof in America is “post-Christian.” Meacham in his article quotes R. Albert Mohler Jr who is president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary as saying, “A remarkable culture-shift has taken place around us. The most basic contours of American culture have been radically altered. The so-called Judeo-Christian consensus of the last millennium has given way to a post-modern, post-Christian, post-Western cultural crisis which threatens the very heart of our culture.”

I would say Mohler got it about right. Our culture indeed has shifted around us and left many church leaders baffled and often clueless on how to respond. One way that some have chosen to respond has not only seemed to fail, but in ways backfired to create even more negative impressions of the church. That is, the move of Christians into the political arena. Whatever Christians may seem to gain by engaging on this level we seem to lose in the court of public opinion. I agree with Meachum when he says, “Worldly success tends to mark the beginning of the end for the overtly religious in politics.” In the struggle to engage culture with the “grace and truth” of Jesus Christians simply should not depend upon politicians and the legislative process.

And it is a struggle! Just as these articles chronicle churches are experiencing declining numbers. From my own observation I know of few churches in my acquaintance that are larger now then they were even ten years ago. I engage in conversations with people- young and old- inside and outside of my church family who express postmodern values. I encounter people among the growing number who claim to be “spiritual but not religious.” I minister to people who have been burned by churches and want nothing to do with organized institutional religion. I deal with my own frustrations as I witness church leadership fall back into patterns of fear-based institutional protectionism instead of embracing and modeling empowering faith and vision. I think I understand- at least partially- why Christianity in America is falling out of favor. We have failed to adequately model and communicate true discipleship.

Consider the two opposite ends of the Christian spectrum in America. On the progressive end numerous churches are accepting and celebrating non-Christian postmodern ideals and lifestyles and openly questioning the inerrancy of Scripture. On the conservative end numerous churches are becoming politically active and adopting methods unrelated to the kingdom to push their agendas.  Both are contributing in their own ways to the decline of Christianity in America. Neither is modeling true discipleship.

I go back to a sentence Meacham wrote, “There is much New Testament evidence to support a vision of faith and politics in which the church is truest to its core mission when it is the farthest from the entanglements of power.” If we are to ever be able to respond, engage and impact our postmodern, hostile culture then it will be only through transparently living the ethics taught and modeled by Christ (on the Sermon on the Mount for instance). It will not be through power politics or institutional maneuverings. When we can discover the value of “losing life” as Jesus put it- then we can begin to more effectively engage culture for Christ- not as a church member, but as his disciple. It is that “downward mobility” that Schultze mentioned (Quentin J. Schultze in his book, Communicating for Life: Christian Stewardship in Community and Media).  It is truly subversive. Politically powerless outsider Christian disciples totally turned part of their world upside down once by simply sharing the “last will be first” message of Christ. Could it happen again?

This is where I find the good news in all the bad news data. Our postmodern, post-Christian culture is turning away from traditional Christian values and growing increasingly hostile and intolerant to those who hold them. Welcome back to the first century! If the gospel message could penetrate the harsh voices competing for the hearts and souls of people then- it can now. As culture grows darker, the light of Christ will have the opportunity to shine brighter. But it has to be his light we shine- not a dim reflection of it.

Anyone in church leadership positions should be paying close attention to the way America is trending concerning Christianity. We cannot bury our heads in the sand or we will just reinforce stereotypes. We should seize these challenging and changing times to present the solid ground of Christ’s truth and love as a refuge. But most of all we should expand our ability to trust in God. I agree with Tom Haynes. He was interviewed for Grossman’s article. He told her, “We just look to Jesus… Christianity is moving totally under the radar. It’s the work of God. It can’t be measured. It happens inside of people’s souls.” It could be while we are wringing hands over alarming trends, God is whispering to us that he has thousands- no even millions- who are not bowing their knees to the gods of postmodernism.