When Your Church is in Decline

Ray A. Seilhamer
Bishop, 1993-2001

January 1995

I love seeing a United Brethren church that is alive, effective, and growing. We have many such churches across the denomination.

Unfortunately, I've concluded that an even larger proportion of our churches are in decline. It's a difficult issue to talk about. I've been amazed at people's refusal to admit that their church is dying. We must be realistic about ourselves. If your church is declining, you can't shut your eyes to it.

What causes churches to decline? There are a number of factors, and I'd like to discuss some of them. If you attend such a church, you may recognize some of what I'm about to say.

Some issues are out of the church's control. Sociological shifts have affected some of our churches, particularly in urban areas, as people move away from the area in which the church is located.

There are also industry shifts. Factories close or move, forcing relocation on key families in your church. I remember when the Air Force closed a facility in Harrisburg, PA, and in one weekend Devonshire UB (which I then pastored) lost four families. That was very painful.

Plus, people just move. In fact, every year 20% of the population moves. They take new jobs, retire to Florida, go back to college, or even enter fulltime Christian service. They'll become very active in another church somewhere, but their gain is your loss.

So a church's decline may result from external factors, rather than from any internal problems. But in too many declining churches, the problem can be found in the pulpit or the pews. The problem might be:

A lost mission.

Churches can lose their purpose, their first love. n declining churches, you find a lack of passion for ministry. Comfort and security replace a striving to minister effectively. Too often, dynamic ministries are sidetracked, as people shift their energies to other things. Declining churches are usually too immersed in busywork and tradition to focus their resources and energies in the right places.

In the business world, it's common to see a man start a dynamic business, then pass it on to a son, under whom the business plateaus. Then he passes it on to his son, who kills the business. As a business--or a church--moves from one generation to another, it can lose its vitality and sense of purpose...unless there is a determination to change and remain relevant.

Lack of pastoral leadership.

Sometimes, capable pastors burn out and simply lose the will and energy to lead effectively. In other churches, a visionary pastor leaves and is replaced by a less-skilled pastor.

Aging congregations.

Young people are virtually absent in many of our declining churches. When a congregation consists almost entirely of elderly people, it doesn't take much imagination to visualize the church's situation ten years down the road. Vibrant churches have young adults and children as part of the people mix.

Sometimes, people have been in control of a church for so long, it's virtually impossible for new blood to be infused. And if new blood is permitted, they have their own creative ways of killing it. A church that ignores its failure to integrate new people into the body, or which fails to attract young people, is headed for extinction.

Building projects.

Building projects can be great launching pads for something beautiful. But they can also cut up a congregation. The initial excitement gives way to pressure, bickering. The focus shifts from ministry to real estate development, and key leaders become head fundraisers and construction chiefs.

Failure to deal with sin.

Lingering sin or sour attitudes can decimate a congregation. We know that happens, yet we shut our eyes to it, hoping there won't be a negative payoff. But in the long run, there is.

Over-worked people.

We sometimes overload our best people, and they eventually feel crushed, misused--even abused--by their church. When a person does something well, we tend to go to them the next time we want something done well. And after a period of time--maybe months, maybe years--they get tired. And then we wonder why they begin withdrawing. We sometimes need to tell people, "You need to back away for a year or two. You're too valuable for us to lose."

Internal politics.

You know churches that are being ripped apart, held down, or frozen because of internal conflict. Many of our rural congregations have wonderful people, most of them related to one or two major families. But if those families don't get along, you've got a major problem.

Lowered ministry standards.

In a day of such deep sin, there is a real temptation to lower our standards. But when we do that, the contrast between the church and the world isn't what it should be. We need that line of demarcation, so it is distinctly different to move from darkness into light.

Boredom.

The good News is not boring. Ask others, How do you experience worship at our church? Is it boring? If only one person out of 20 says it's boring, I wouldn't pay much attention to it. But if a lot of people say that, take notice and act.

Declining congregations may be virtually unknown in their community. When I go into a community, I like to go to a business and ask where the church is located and what they know about the pastor. People may not even know the church exists.

When something starts going downhill, it picks up speed. And people often turn on each other, placing blame somewhere--usually on the pastor, who directs it someplace else.

Too often, churches wait too long to recognize that they are on their last legs. They finally take radical steps...but too late. We need to be realistic about our condition. Even if your church is growing, you need to ask, "How can we reach more people for Christ?"

Where is your church? What is your honest, realistic assessment of your church? And what can you do to make things better?