Question:  I keep reading that church attendance is declining across the country (maybe not here).  Curious to know what the Pastors think about why this is?  What is the biggest problem and what needs to be done to change this?
Submitted by:  F.T.  Indiana

Response from Pastor Don Wismer, The Connexion-Fort Wayne
Hi F.T.,

You're right. Church attendance is down all across the country including our area as well. It has been declining for some time now and is a real cause for concern for those who love the church. Perhaps most alarming is the fastest growing segment spiritually in our country are the unaffiliated according to a recent poll by George Barna. Why? If I could answer that question I'd be a very popular person. I don't think there are any easy answers to the question. The reasons are many but you asked for an opinion of what we think the biggest reason is so I'll take a shot.

I look on with interest the assessments of pastor / author Dan Kimball who wrote the book, "They Like Jesus But Not The Church." He researched the emerging generations viewpoints on why they aren't attending church and learned from them these reasons: 

1. The church is an organized religion with a political agenda.
2. The church is judgmental and negative.
3. The church is dominated by males and oppresses females.
4. The church is homophobic.
5. The church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong.
6. The church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally.

Others would add in that "All they want is my money."

Remember, these are the perceptions of those who are not attending a church service now. Some of these might be MIS-perceptions but it is what many people are thinking. The church must own these perceptions, they came from somewhere. We must all look at our own circumstances to see if we are adding to the negative perceptions people have and address them. Maybe we need to more clearly and lovingly state our beliefs. Maybe we need to take a good look in the mirror and make some changes.

The other half of this issue are those who are leaving the institutional church. Many lifelong believers are not participating in their congregations any longer. Many are finding other ways to express their Christianity. They are still believers but are dropping out from active participation. Again, the reasons why are complex. My personal opinion is that church's make things over complicated. We can be guilty of asking people to do too much. We want them to come on Sunday morning, be in the choir, be in a small group, serve on a church committee, volunteer in some capacity to keep all the programs running, be involved in a missions outreach and get the kids to all this stuff as well. It's overwhelming and can suck the life out of a person instead of adding value to one's life. People are not finding the church to be exhausting instead of fulfilling so they drop out.

The solution here is to simplify. Keep it super simple - KISS. That's what we are doing in The Connexion now with what we call MicroChurch. We gather in peoples homes where we share a meal, have great spiritual discussions, build relationships with one another, support one another, pray together and share communion. It's the simple way of the early New Testament church. It's a very organic and free expression of the body of Christ without all the trappings of institutional religiosity.


Response from:  Pastor Ron Hawkins, First Assembly Church - Fort Wayne

There are many seeking the answer to this question in the church today… the surmised answers range from people being too busy in their lives to a decline in moral thinking all across the nation to churches that aren’t relevant to people’s needs. We have not experienced decline although are growth rate is not as great as in some seasons of the past. I believe that there is a great hunger for solid answers to life in the hearts of people everywhere today. I know that people feel uncertain and unsure about the future and a sense of “No foundations” in their lives. A part of that is that we are abandoning the foundations of Biblical Christianity and live in a culture that proclaims loudly and proudly there are NO absolutes except that ones that I set…thus making ourselves the god of our own lives. The problem is that we quickly hit the wall of circumstances and a harsh reality sweeps over us that we aren’t very good gods… ! Therefore we have No answers! When this happens we have two choices either turn and repent before the Eternal God that really exists, start to seek His face and get to know who He really is or we slide into replacement…seeking gods elsewhere… usually entertainment, pleasure, security as found in our own financial lives or even good things like family, public service or good deeds. However unless there is the underlying power of the God, eternal, all wise and powerful helping us even these good things soon fail because as we take on the pressure not only of our lives but others we if we’re honest realize our answers are not enough.

My belief concerning a decline in Christianity today is that we’ve grown complacent, entertained and distracted as a people and a nation. Historically when a nation or people turn from God He turns from them releasing them to their own ways…which inevitably end in destructive behaviors and a deep soul loss. The Nation of Israel in the Bible went through cycle after cycle of rejecting God and God releasing them … they slide into chaos and captivity in which they would them cry out to God and in faithfulness He would answer and revive them. The question for us is where are we in the cycle. Remember the “60’s”… God is dead some shouted! And a decade of rebellion, chaos and destructive living was unleashed… but in the 70’s a great resurgence of Spiritual life swept in, because people turned and cried out to God for reality, authentic soul revival to the God who exists… God is not dead but will our culture survive… only if we turn back to the God who really exists….

II Chronicles 7:13-14 NLT ¹³ At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. ¹⁴ Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

We need people to wake up, humble themselves and seek God’s face our nation faces great difficulty and it is self-imposed. Our answers are not found in Washington but in the church house seeking the God who truly exists and waits for us. The Good News He will answer if we’ll turn back to Him.