Is it a good or bad thing if the church fails as an institution?
Churchgoing is NOT a virtue, and it is NOT essential to loving our neighbors. Image from StockCake/in the public domain
In my last column, I challenged the myth of the resurgence of religion. Recently, Ryan Burge, whom I quoted here, posted about the predominance of Baby Boomers in churches:
“I think people fundamentally misunderstand the demographic oddity of the Baby Boom generation in American religion. ‘Oh, it’s fine. When those Boomers die off, they will just be replaced by younger generations.’ No, they won’t. Baby Boomers make up ~27% of American adults. In the largest Protestant denominations, they make up 45%+ of adult members.
“For every 100 Silent/Boomers in the Episcopal Church, there are only 60 Gen X/Millennials to replace them. In the United Methodist Church, it’s 100 -> 63…” etc., etc.”
So why do we keep reading about a resurgence in church attendance? Some analysts see a small, recent rise in church attendance, following a large, longstanding decline in church attendance. And others see a flattening out of church attendance. Still others see a decline in the rate of decline in church attendance. Burge places the short-term shift in a long-term perspective.
There are Problems with the Data
To me, there are problems with the data, and they raise more questions than answers. For starters, most studies survey adults, but NOT children. Do you see fewer infants in church cry rooms and fewer children and teenagers in church Sunday schools and youth groups? Do you think that children who are raised by irreligious parents will become irreligious adults? Me, too.
If more people are attending church, how are they attending church? Approximately one-quarter of church attendees attend church virtually. Do you think that people who attend church virtually are less likely to contribute financially, engage socially or participate actively? Do you think that they are more likely to leave that church or to try other churches? Me, too.
If more people are attending church, how often are they attending? Overall, weekly attendance has dropped to 30% of respondents. So (let’s say) if twice as many people attend church, but the new congregations attend church half as often as the old congregations, would you say that “church attendance” is increasing? Me, neither.
If more people are attending church, are they celebrating life events, like marriages, in church? Today, people are foregoing marriage, postponing marriage or seeing marriage as a secular event. Do you think that the church’s position on same-sex couples contributed to that? Has it been a while since you attended a wedding in a church, rather than a barn or a beach? Me, too.
If more people are attending church, do they trust their leaders? According to Gallup’s Honesty and Ethics survey, trust in pastors has fallen dramatically from 64% to 27% in the last 25 years.
So do you think that churchgoers are less likely to trust pastors with their children or to turn to pastors in times of trouble? Do you think that this hurts church attendance? Me, too.
Church Leaders Seem to be Sleeping Through a Wake-Up Call
I am a reporter. I am NOT an apologist, and I am NOT a critic. From the outside looking in, it is a good thing for all of us if some of us have communities that provide comfort in trying times. But, unless or until church leaders address the real reasons that people are leaving church, then there is NOT much possibility that people will return to church. I wrote about that here.
In The Way, I suggest that churches should acknowledge mysticism, become comfortable with paradox and embrace uncertainty, and recognize advances in history, philosophy and science. Sadly, these sound like high hurdles, perhaps insurmountable hurdles, for most contemporary churches. Change is difficult. But as Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it.”
We have not even discussed the financial and practical realities of keeping the doors open. With the decline in church attendance and in trust in pastors, how many people will choose ministry? How will churches afford to attract and retain capable pastors or to build and maintain suitable spaces? For that matter, how will churches afford to pay their bills?
Is It a Good or Bad Thing If the Church Fails as an Institution?
To me, the church crisis looks like the climate crisis (or any other crisis). The sooner we act, the more likely we are to fix the problem. The longer we wait, the more difficult it becomes. Eventually, the scope of our problems overwhelms our capacity to address them. At that point, churches might simply collapse under their own weight.
Objectively, I do NOT assume that the collapse of the church as an institution is entirely positive or entirely negative for society. As I stated above, I recognize that church is a sanctuary for some. And I recognize that church has inflicted considerable harm on others. To me, churchgoing is NOT inherently a virtue, and it is NOT essential to loving our neighbors. I wrote about that here.
So, is it a good or bad thing if the church fails as an institution?
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Larry Jordan is a follower of Jesus with a Zen practice. He wrote “The Way,” informed by the Eastern religions, the mystics, and the quantum physicists. "The Way" won a 2024 Nautilus Book Award. You can read more about the author here.
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