Church Journey

Attendance down. Unchurched growing. Years accumulate for the trendline. Roman Catholic students are not entering seminary in numbers to replace retiring, dying or disabled priests. Same with nuns; number of sisters are falling with declining replacements entering convents.


Smaller protestant churches move to part-time ministers and pastors. Smaller churches continue to shrink in size and many eventually close. New churches open in burgeoning housing markets, but still population numbers do not support new churches as they did in past decades.


New churches opening tend to be independent of national denominations and housed in ‘big box’ facilities. Stadium seating and large venue stages appear. Television broadcasting is present in some of these new churches. Music throbs; so does dance, theater and many genres of music recitals. The methods of worship are shifting. The old is out of fashion and the new sparks interest of the unchurched.


Well; all of this bodes ill, wouldn’t you think? In some ways yes; in many ways, no. The story of churches – actually their journey from 1900 – has been similar all the way to 2000.

The first paragraph of this post is a good description of what was happening in 1950 and 1960. But it also describes what is happening in 2020. Nothing much has changed. The trends continue downward.


Smaller churches continue to morph from once larger congregations, and many small churches decide eventually to merge with other churches, or close their doors permanently. That trend is still fresh as it always has been.


Younger people are avoiding church membership entirely. 30 and 40-somethings have been disappearing from churches as well. Even the 50 and 60-year old’s have been dwindling.


What to do? Well, new options are appearing. Like they always have, parishioners have invented new ways to worship. Many have adopted new ministries that clearly speak service to others outside the walls of their churches. Following Biblical admonitions to love one another and serve them, congregations are finding ways to do just that. Young members like this approach; it engages them in the real world.


Millennials are vocal about hypocrisy observed. How can God love each of us and yet scourge gay and lesbian people? Or admonish and castigate those having abortions? What about diversity and openly welcoming parishioners who do not look like the majority? Yes, millennials are tough on the older generations. And with good cause!


When I was their age, I ached for my turn to be an adult and make a difference in our social order, a difference that was sorely needed then. Now 60 years later I face the reality that my tenure has left a world order much worse off than the one I inherited from my elders.


In the 1960’s our society was sick with racism and war mongering. Today, our society is sick with racism and war mongering. White supremacy is rife. Injustice appears in many places. Yet, we elders continue to pray to our God and seek answers for the very problems we did little about.

How does the church become and remain relevant? What must it do to embrace diversity to enrich our social order? Why does this remain so difficult to accept and master?


My view? We have a better chance focusing on these problems from within the church so we can carry it out to the people who are in need. The church is not a place. It is a way of life focused on helping others so we can forget ourselves.

Meanwhile, people still yearn for connection with others. They have religion in their souls, too. They just live differently than I did. That doesn't make it wrong. Perhaps they will create their own church?


It sounds so easy. It isn’t. The church journey would be doing much better if it were.


February 24, 2020