The “Dying” Church

Books and stories about books about the “tsunami” of church closings.  It’s no secret, it’s happening and it is real.  I have had the unfortunate experience of watching it happen – more than once.  Persecution of the church is very real.  And yet, the persecution the church faces in America today is miniscule and insignificant compared to history, even modern history in other parts of the world.  A lot more is changing than just what people do on Sunday mornings.  So what is going on here?

Here’s what I know.  Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”  Through John’s vision, God calls Himself,  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”  The Apostle Paul promised, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In a variation of C.S. Lewis’ famous Lord, liar or lunatic paradigm, one must conclude either all I just quoted from the Bible is nonsense or the church has somehow divorced itself from the truths those quotes express.  There are now church consulting groups designed specifically to help churches close.  Their social and cultural liberality aside, they clearly do not take Christ’s final command at face value when He said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit….”  Focusing on how to end a ministry strikes me as the exact opposite of what Jesus charged us to do as He departed our physical presence.

The article initially cited to start this piece spends some time trying to figure out what is happening – but it is an entirely secular analysis.  It talks about debt loads, declining income, difficult to maintain buildings – cultural irrelevance, too much devotion to tradition.  All of which are valid questions, but none of which are the most appropriate question.  When a church fails there are really only two closely-related questions – “Why are God’s commands not being followed?” and “Why are God’s promises not being fulfilled?”

Church failures are not new.  Some are recorded in the Book of Acts, before the church was even really a church – when it was just getting itself organized.  But there is a huge difference, when you read those stories in Acts, you do not read about debt loads or worship music choices – you read about sin – about the failings of that congregation.  Such churches are not counselled on how to die gracefully, they are called to repentance and failing such repentance they are separated from the larger body and left to rot.

We do not need consultants on how to die gracefully, we need prophets calling the church to repentance.  We need congregations willing to listen to that call.  Most of all, we need the Holy Spirit.