I just finished a late summer weekend in The Netherlands. The church bells largely chime pop songs rather than religious music. Think: “What a Wonderful World” and “You are My Sunshine.” We ran across one church in Amsterdam with a decent crowd (Roman Catholic and possibly majority non-native). Most church buildings were closed tight as a drum or repurposed.
This week I finished final edits of a second edition of my best-selling 2006 book, I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church. My publisher is enthusiastic about this project and seems to be fast-tracking the new edition into print by year-end. What a journey of discovery! To re-inhabit a manuscript that reflects a world 17 years departed, when mainline churches still had a bit of self-confidence that with reasonable intentionality and fresh strategies, they could adjust to the new century. As I wrote the first edition of the book, I was four years removed from having planted and pastored a large suburban congregation, where we made some excellent ministry decisions, and really designed things for the neighborhood, rather than the membership. And it had worked! In my church consulting 2002-2006, I typically recommended adding a new worship gathering with a more informal and contemporary vibe to complement the traditional gathering. In most cases, this change helped to grow the congregations, especially with younger families. The profound exodus of Americans from organized religion was just ramping up in those days. The old denominations had seen an exodus, but innovative churches were still growing, as they picked up many who were looking for something fresher and more culturally relevant to them.
As we navigate the strange ministry terrain of the post-pandemic era - with so many churches having collapsed, a lot of blaming is going on. By blaming, I mean that church leaders are seeking to understand why their churches are dying. The popular culprits: loss of faith within the culture, hedonism, the bad rap that evangelicals are giving to all organized religion, human busyness, changed weekend habits from the 2020-22 experience, selfish church members who will not make changes to welcome new people. On and on the excuses go. Each of these items bears a bit of truth.
Ten years ago, as social conditions became less responsive to organized religion, church planting became harder than it used to be. The number of failed church plants soared in most denominations. Millions of dollars invested went nowhere as the new churches failed to take root. Many judicatories decided to give up on planting and put all their eggs in the revitalization basket: seeking to stabilize the churches they had. This worried me then, because every church has a life cycle. As churches age, few are able to turn back time. But revitalization became the rage - all sorts of programs were offered to help local churches get a grip, and a facelift - I have been a major player in the church revitalization industry - even as I continued to coach new church starts.
In church after church where I work, I discover there is no system (or
too little system) for getting to know worshipers and following up with
them after they visit a worship service or other church gathering. We
have known for many decades that visitor follow-up is a foundational
best practice for growing and renewing a church - and yet, most pastors
are just not getting around to it. It is baffling. Follow up is more
than a pastoral responsibility - but if just the pastors would take
seriously the people who wanted in the doors on Sunday - it might be
revolutionary.
Around the turn of this century, most American church planters were men. This is probably still true in terms of all church plants, since these projects are disproportionately sponsored by evangelical groups. But in the mainline denominations, the planters are diversifying. I asked a colleague who resources planters in the Anglican Church in the UK, “What are some common traits which come to mind as you think about the really gifted church planters you work with?” He thought for a minute, and the first response, “They’re mostly women.”
One thing that liberals and conservatives, Americans and Pakistanis, privileged and marginalized folks can all agree upon: we are dealing with unprecedented disruptions in the world.
