The Declining Church – Why?

It’s hard to look at the statistics and put together some documentation about the declining church attendance by population even while the population is growing and not ask, why?  Why is it happening?  What are the factors in society that have changed that have created this declining church culture?

Usually when I ask others this question, lots of things jump out to people, but mostly those things are pertinent to their individual church and not to the universal church as a whole.  However, one answer is consistent among everyone that I ask – tolerance.  In my informal surveys of people living in Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and even Washington state, each person says the tolerance of the church regarding sin is repulsive.  And because of that even they, sometimes lifelong church attendees, find themselves not desiring to go to church. 

The current societal church that includes people who purposely and boldly live in sin clearly defined by the Bible in leadership positions instead of holding them accountable for that sin and working with them to live outside of the sin is revolting to every Christian I talked with.  Currently in the Methodist church, there is a real war inside the church over homosexual persons being leaders in the church.  My estimation is that this will result in a split and there will be a separate sect of Methodists that support it and those that oppose it.  Yet that isn’t the only sin.  Others are drugs, sex, and money.  As I sit here, I can call by name former pastors who have abused children sexually, one who murdered a young woman he got pregnant while married, and one who embezzled funds.  Not church members, pastors.

I have to consider that just typing that last paragraph and thinking about it makes church unappealing to me.  If it is unappealing to me, how much more unappealing is it to someone who has never been.  Within that discussion is nothing that would attract someone to Jesus or show why He is the answer to their life.

The abounding error of the modern church is straying from the written Word of God and allowing what people want to accept as good into the church out of a fear that people will leave the church if they don’t.  By doing this the church makes people god and that makes the church irrelevant.  The only relevancy the church has is the Lordship of their Savior, Jesus.  Any time He is demoted, the church becomes irrelevant.  When the church is irrelevant, people stop attending. 

Compounding this problem in today’s churches is the inability of the church to teach and practice accountability.  The New Testament is clear in teaching how the church is to hold one another accountable for their actions, yet this is simply not practiced in today’s church.  Today’s churches teach abounding love, which is truth, but fail to teach that accountability is one of the greatest acts of love because in its essence it strives to keep someone walking in the Spirit and with the Christ. 

Another variable to consider is that the typical worshiper attends less frequently.  While the church may have a consistent number attending, the people that are there each Sunday are different week-to-week. For example, a church may regularly have 300 attendees each Sunday.  Out of that 300, 80 might only attend at least two Sundays a month.  This means that 25% of the attendees on any given Sunday are completely different from Sunday to Sunday.  This also means that there are 160 who come two Sundays a month since the attendance average is constant.  This number of “swing” attendees is growing in churches. 

Some other key aspects of society that might be affecting church decline include: 

1. Americans are doing more things alone, and less with family and friends.  
2. Smart Phones.  
3. The message from society is contrary and condemning.

Americans no longer feel the need to be a part of community organizations.  Memberships in the Jaycees, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions and similar clubs have all been falling steadily in every community for 30 years.  The passing of the baton of community service within in these organizations to the next generation has failed.  This is partial evidence that Americans do more alone.  In his book, “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community,” Robert Putnam indicates that 43% of Americans have fewer family dinners in 2000 than they did in 1975 and 35% fewer people had friends who would drop in to see them in their home.

Finding the reasons for why people are spending more time alone should be a research study unto itself, but it certainly must be considered as it relates to the mindset of the current generation and their tendency not be a part of an organization like a church body.  The church would be foolish not to see the trend and discover new ways to inject the message of Jesus into the lives of the new generation and the benefits of a church congregation. 

A definite influence into the doing more alone aspect of society are today’s smart phones.  Most young people (age 30 or less) are addicted to their smart phone and fell “naked” without it nearby.  Surveys indicate that that this group is okay being alone as long as they have their phone, but do not like being alone without it.  This means that a significant portion of their security and well-being is the presence of their smart phone.  As astounding and emotionally unhealthy as this is, it can’t be ignored as not existing by the church and the church should learn to focus its message to meet this need. 

Another fact that the church needs to accept is this new generator gathers almost all their information about the world, living, entertainment, and communications through their smart phone.  The church, if it wants to be relevant, must find a way to get into that device that every person, and especially every attendee, carries with them.

Unfortunately, the message of today’s society is becoming clear in its targeting of Christians and the Christian message.  And its being done in a multitude of news outlets, opinion articles, and entertainment every day.  This constant barrage against Christianity is an attack against the church and this is what the new generation learns since all their information comes through the smart phone.  The church must accept that American is now against the church, not for it.  The absence of this acceptance has been detrimental and has put the church on its heels.

Most assuredly, there are other reasons that contribute to the decline of the church.  The reality is, the church must re-grasp its primary purpose to declare the message of Jesus to the world and disciple those who follow Christ.  And it must stand on God’s written Word, no matter what society says.  Otherwise it will die as irrelevant and America will be lost, then forgotten.