Praise the Lord for Shrinking Church Attendance

 

This is NOT a Problem!

            Before anyone starts tying the hangman's noose, hear me out.  We can and should praise the Lord for shrinking church attendance!  Yes!  You read that right.  I am advocating that a 16% drop in overall church attendance is ok.  In fact, by the end of this article, you may be agreeing with me that it is good or even great!

            We can all agree that the world has dramatically changed since 1993; the first year a metric is recorded on this chart.  In fact, we can probably study the year-to-year shifts among the 103,603 people surveyed over the span of this chart, and find significant cultural events that led to an uptick or drop in weekly church attendance.  In 2001, America was attacked by terrorists on September 11th.  That event thrust us into a war in the Middle East.  This resulted in a temporary resurgence of patriotism, and church attendance jumped 2%.  The US population in 2001 was 285,000,000.  A 2% increase in church attendance means 5,700,000 more people attended church weekly in 2002 than in 2001.  In 2003 and 2004 the emotional response that led people to church dissipated and normalcy returned resulting in a net loss in church attendance (41%).

            The next major event would be the housing market collapse in 2008.  People were upside down on their mortgages, and many others were financially ruined.  Many were left to start over and rebuild their lives.  When people have nothing else to trust in, they will turn to their faith.  During that tumultuous time in the financial world, every day Americans were affected, resulting in a 5% spike in weekly church attendance.  However, that uptick lasted just until they could get their financial life back in order.  By 2010, things were once again returning to normal.  In fact, by then, people were starting to see the promise of a bright tomorrow.  The result is a long slide in church attendance. 

            Who knows if the church will ever see a resurgence in weekly attendance, but I say who cares!  I certainly do NOT!  How can I be so callous?  Isn't some church better than no church?  First of all, nothing I said was callous or careless.  In fact, I am making that statement out of an abundance of love for my countrymen just as the Apostle Paul demonstrated for his.  Romans 10:1 says, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."  Is our desire for our fellow man their salvation?  If that is the case, then I would argue that church may be the worst place for them to attend weekly.  

            I believe it was Barna who also produced a study a few years ago where they asked people to articulate "the gospel".  That study resulted in over 270 recognizable variations of "the gospel".  Scripture is clear.  Today a person is saved by believing that Christ Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead for their sins.  This alone is the gospel.  There is only one way to be saved.  That means that at least 269 of those variations of the gospel are wrong.  We must also account for the possibility that all 270 were wrong! 

Where do you think people were getting these variations of the gospel?  Some were probably creations from their own thinking, but many were the product of what they were taught in their church!

           It goes without saying, but Barna defines, "Christianity" very broadly.  For polling purposes, they see "Christianity" as a spectrum that is not defined by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection for salvation.  With so many things being redefined in our world today, redefining and broadening the definition of "Christian" should not surprise us.

            Let's be open and honest about the state of the church today.  It is corrupt to varying degrees.  We should not be offended or surprised by such a statement.  Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to describe the church in the last days.  We have that inspired message in II Timothy 3:1 – 7.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

The Holy Spirit is describing the last days in the church through the pen of the Apostle Paul.  He says the church will be filled with men who love themselves more than God.  Their natural affection will have been corrupted.  They will despise those who follow God (do good).  Does this sound like much of Christianity today to some degree?  He goes further, saying men in the church will be pleasure lovers, not God lovers.  This is what “Christianity” has become today!  The Holy Spirit also says that men will resist the truth, and that while learning will take place, people will not be able to come to the knowledge of the truth!  That is a serious problem! 

            If a particular church, or a denomination is guilty of teaching people, and yet those people are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth because truth is not taught, then, out of love for my fellowman, I pray that that church or denomination’s attendance drops, not by 16%, but to zero! 

            Ultimately, we cannot lay this decline in weekly attendance solely at the feet of the world or the church.  That would leave people as helpless victims.  People are capable of making their own decisions.  Maybe that line chart reflects people doing just that.  Maybe people are smart enough to realize that churches are not feeding their spiritual need and so they are becoming disillusioned and walking away.  Paul warned of this in                          II Timothy 2:16 – 18.

But shun profane and vain babblings:  for they will increase unto more ungodliness.  And their word will eat as doth a canker:  of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

We must also consider the hard truth, that while Scripture tells us we have a heavenly citizenship, Christians often function as consumers, not as citizens.  As a citizen, you are engaged sacrificially.  You are surrendered to Christ and committed to His will.  As a consumer, you are engaged solely for personal satisfaction and service.  When the church no longer satisfies and serves you, you stop attending.  Sadly, many Christians have sold their birthright for a bowl of soup.  They have traded their citizenship for consumer status.

If overall weekly church attendance is dropping year after year, I once again say, “Praise the Lord!”  I do NOT care if people go to a church.  In fact, I prefer that they don’t.  I care that people are in A church where they hear THE gospel clearly.  I want people to be in a church where they are coming to a knowledge of the truth.  After all, God’s will is that all men be saved AND come to the knowledge of the truth.  Since that is God’s will, then it is mine also.  I want people in a church where men love God more than pleasure.  I want people in churches that are the antithesis of II Timothy 3:1 – 7.  As for every other church, may they shutter their doors.  Those buildings make beautiful art galleries and coffee shops.