I have just
returned from England, where I was speaking to several groups of leaders of the
Anglican Church, as a part of a series of lectures on “Effective Evangelism
Today”. I was excited about this
opportunity to get acquainted with these British church leaders, to sense their
commitment, their interest and their concern. I was most impressed with the denominational leaders and their desire to
be more effective in reaching new people for Christ today. I was also very excited about new
methodologies that are being used there, and their openness to new approaches
to help the Church.
I am
concerned about what is happening to the Church in England as it compares to
what is happening to the Church in the United States. In the U.S., we are experiencing decline in
all of the mainline denominations. Church
leaders are closing churches; we have inadequate finances, and declining
attendance. We have a crisis in the Church
in the U.S., and we must respond, so that God’s Church can be strong and vital
to reach new people for Christ. In
visiting England, I realized they have experienced this decline in a more
significant way than we have in the U.S. And that simply reminds me of how serious the issue is for God’s Church
around the planet. Certainly there are
places across the globe where the Church is vital and growing, and filled with
excitement and success. But the sad reality
is that there are many places, particularly in the so-called ‘western world’,
where the Church is declining in a significant way.
In Scotland,
we met a leader of the Methodist Church.
He explained that in the city of Edinburgh, the number of Methodist
Churches had dwindled down to five. The five of them got together and decided
there weren’t enough people, so they combined everyone together in one
church. Now, on most Sundays, there will
be as many as 100 people. Only one
hundred Methodists in a city of over a half million – that’s a significant
decline!
In England, we visited lots of interesting
sights. At one point we were shown a
series of garden areas on a church property. Around one of the beautiful ponds, there were rock markers. One of the old buildings stones, in fact,
marked the garden areas. On one corner
there was a stone that looked somewhat like the top of a steeple. I asked the pastor who was showing us around
what it was, and he said this was the top of a church that had been torn down
some years ago. All across England, we
saw beautiful church buildings used for meeting halls; one was a café and retail
store. Beautiful old cathedrals now
empty of any church relationships, and serving meals and merchandise, rather
than Jesus.
The leaders
of the churches in England are trying hard to change the negative trend. I’m enthused about any help that I can
give. But the picture of that church
steeple now in a rock pile around a garden reminded me of how critical our
efforts are.
The secular
society that we live in today will put the Church in a rock pile. We must change that enthusiastically,
effectively, and immediately!
For information
on doing evangelism more effectively and ending this epidemic of Church
decline, please visit Leadership Nexus Foundation
online or contact
me today!
Dr. Bob,
ReplyDeleteSadly, I couldn't agree more. I've been sounding the warning signals for years, only to have my urging fall on deaf ears, or hearts cold as stone. Although I have been dismissed over and over again by officials, I am more convinced than ever before - that the reason we are seeing a decline in church membership is due primarily to the extraordinarily high attrition rate among clergy.
In America, among all denominations, it is as high as 85-90%! NO institution - that runs her leaders off at this high a level, can ever survive long enough to stop a decline. I see it too often to be convinced otherwise. We lose good leaders and we lose good people. We lose good people because they get fed up and disgusted with the abuses they see heaped upon the pastors by the least healthy and least functional individuals in a church. Judicatory officials are simply not willing to confront rogue members who become horrible problems,
When you have an exodus of leadership in the 90th percentile - it is only a matter of time before that begins to be reflected in the overall membership. What is the answer?
We have GOT to prepare clergy for the reality of ministry in the post modern era. We need to prepare our pastors for the reality of spiritual warfare, and the fact that they have only themselves, other trusted colleagues, and God, to rely on when the assaults begin. So they need to be incredibly strong, unbelievably courageous, and willing to do what Wesley did with congregational antagonists, and that is engage in the ministry of admonishment.
Today's hyper-sensitive politically correct environment advocates shudder at the thought of admonishing a rogue church member. They recoil when using terms like "Clergy Killer," "Antagonist" and "Alligators." And they are aghast at the idea of removing a member that has caused serious damage to a pastor, his or her family and a congregation. But if we are not willing to confront, to stop, to thwart or to fend off intentionally destructive actions, we have only ourselves to blame for the lack of zeal for evangelism and the resulting demise in membership.
In Christ,
Rev. Randy Kanipe
Georgia
I think this phenomenon is our "wake up call" to realize that "church" needs to be done completely differently now than in the past. The old stone churches were beautiful, and filled with worshipers "back in the day" but now people do not go in them unless they have been re-purposed for other uses.
ReplyDeleteCan it be that our spiritual path has taken us away from buildings and property, and closer to what Jesus intended all along? -- that being to live lives that channel the love of God in a variety of ways? '
Just as the ancient Hebrews had to learn that the Ark was not the only place where God could reside -- he could reside with them when they were transported to Babylon, for example -- we need to learn that "church" is about spiritual growth, leadership and activity in people, and is not about whether the buildings are used for their intended purposes anymore.
Frankly, I have often felt more effective in ministry by playing World of Warcraft and engaging young people in conversations about goodness and Christ, and spiritual journeys than I have with some church members who think they already know everything and don't want to hear God's new Word for them on any given day!
The only problem with the UMC in America is that it allows the liberal wing to exist within the conference. Sadly the UMC leaders do not see a spiritual consequence. They see it as a call to do church differently. Remember God's dealings with Israel in the O/ T. You can't accept the liberal wing and expect not to hear from God. If you want to flourish UMC SPLIT.
ReplyDeleteI get a little uneasy when we start labeling people as if some are on the right side of the tracks and someone else who is on the wrong side. It's as if it is "us" against "them." "Unknown" might want to read Adam Hamilton's book, "When Christians Get It Wrong." It's an excellent adult Bible Study. Labeling people and ideas is no way to grow the church.
DeleteWe have attendance of about 110-120 weekly. In the last 9 months, we've had 4 baptisms - two adults and two children. Before that, I was at a church that began with 22 people. 5 baptisms that year, attendance grew to 26 average. How?
ReplyDeleteRecognizing that in declining churches, the evangelism task is the task of the pastor, the evangelism committee, "the church", the outreach committee. But in a growth church, the evangelism task is the task of every individual.
How to teach this and change the DNA of the church?
Start with Acts 2:42-47. The only outreach found was to "praise God". Anyone can praise God in the church and in the community. When you praise God enough to your friends, neighbors, and family, they first look at you strangely, then later they come to accept that you know something about God. And if you've been attending church for years, you do!
Eventually they ask you deeper and deeper questions, which allow you to lead them to the point of baptism.
But it begins when the pastor begins to teach that the job of each individual of the congregation is teaching others the Gospel - not just inviting people to church.
Jesus came and "rocked" the world...today, it seems like the world is rocking the Church. Here's praying for guidance and strength.
ReplyDelete“Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.”
― John Wesley