Is the American Church Really in Decline?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Sun, November 23, 2008
- Viewed 250
- (43) comments so far
% of Americans Who Belong to a Local Congregation
1776—17%
1850—34%
1906—51%
1926—56%
1980—62%
2005—69%
Stark says that the Puritans were actually a very small minority of the people who settled in the new world. European church attendance was dismal, and many settlers brought their religious habits with them. Thus, only 17% were connected with the church in the early years of our country.
Even since the 1950s, when more modern research started, Stark says that the combination of Gallop, Baylor and General Social Survey polls has found that actual church attendance has remained steady overall. The only thing that has really decreased has been Catholic attendance (and that was due to the Vatican II ruling saying that it was no longer a sin to miss mass). In fact, according to their numbers, 36% of people attended church regularly in 1973. By 2007, that number had stayed absolutely the same: 36%.
Those numbers are totally different than many studies released by well-known Christian organizations that have caused major alarm in the church over the past years.
Who should we believe? Stark’s research makes a lot of sense to me. As Solomon said, ‘there is nothing new under the sun.’
But really, should any of this research make any difference to us as we conduct our ministries? Probably not. We all are full aware of the pressing need to reach the unchurched in our communities. Hearing and believing that there are more unchurched now, and that we are losing the battle, really does none of us any good.
The good side: Maybe the American church is not in as big of a crisis as some have painted it to be. We must just be as innovative and hard-working as ever to make a dent in the number of unchurched where we live. That is where the difference really takes place.
What do you think?
Todd
A couple of weeks ago, Bob Buford gave me a book entitled “What Americans Really Believe”. This new book, written by Rodney Stark had enough content in chapter one to write a bunch of articles. Today, I want to briefly discuss what Stark, who is a researcher at Baylor University has found about American’s and their church attendance.
I’ve heard that 87% of statistics are made up on the spot. And I think that may be true. But some of Baylor’s research findings really fly in the face of what we’re hearing in most polls coming out of the Christian community. Here is one of the declarations of this book:
The percentage of Americans that belong to a local congregation is actually INCREASING in the country. In fact, church membership is much, much higher in 2008 than it was, even in revolutionary times.
Stark shares research done for the book “The Churching of America, 1776-1990,” which went through an elaborate study to actually see what church membership has looked like throughout American history. Here’s what they found:
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Geoffrey harris on Mon, November 24, 2008
Todd, thanks for raising this important issue. I think we have fallen short in our measurements. We measure attendance and finances but our measurement of spiritual growth, which is the greatest true determinate of church growth, is foggy. Have we clearly defined the end product of Christian education? If you go into an organization that produces widgets and go to the end of the production line and there are no widgets, you know that organization is in some other business. Having been on staff of a church for ten years and consulting with hundreds of churches, my discovery is that most churches are not clear about their end product. Therefore, we measure attendance, finances and “growing Christians”. What does that mean? The Great Commission, Matthew 28:19,20, suggests that the end product of the church is a disciple maker. Jesus asked his disciples to “go make disciples”. What about beginning to measure how many disciple makers we have in our church? Spritual multipication is the master’s church growth strategy. If we measured how many believers we have helped to become disciple makers then we would begin grappling with the real issues of a growing or declining church. How do we measure a true disciple maker? 2 Timothy 2:2 suggests four generations, Paul, Timothy, reliable men, others. We need to be measureing how many fourth generation disciple makers have been produced through our ministry. When that starts happening we won’t have to be concerned about whether or not the church is growing in attendance.
Geoffrey Harris
Leonard on Mon, November 24, 2008
In defense of Wendi (not that she needs it) I really do not think that she is saying something is more relevant that the word of God, nor do I think she is saying something unbiblical when she says the church is to change the world.
The scriptures instruct us that the church is God’s plan to reveal the mystery of Christ. His intent was to use the church.
To be relevant is not to change the word of God nor is it to not speak the word of God but rather to learn the language of the people.
To fail to understand culture, the many we have here in the US and the many around the world and then to bring the word is to bring the timeless truths of God’s amazing grace to people in a different language and then blame the people who speak a different language for not understanding.
I just returned from India, imagine if I preached in English without translation to Punjabi (where I was) and then got mad at the people who spoke Punjabi for not understanding the word. To be relevant I needed translation.
This is also true in how people respond and family structures and peoples histories. I cannot effectively do ministry with Latino and Hispanic people groups in my area if I approach them as though they were like me. I have to understand family structure, how to honor the father in the home, how to engage the children in what might be a duel language home. (parents only speak spanish and children speak both English and Spanish)
It helps to know if they are Hispanic or Latino, it helps to know what part of the world they hail from, to know the reason they are here, to lean of family left behind… These all go to understanding the language of the culture.
Relevancy is not about the word of God but about the language it is spoken.
That said, I see huge decline in the church in my almost half a century of participation.
CS on Mon, November 24, 2008
My thoughts:
-According to ABC, 83% of people in America classify themselves as Christian.
-According to Barna, 42% of people who identify themselves as Christian also identify themselves as, “born-again” (John 3).
-In that same poll, 37% of these self-described born-again Christians believe that good people can get to Heaven.
So, mathematically, that would mean than less than 21% of people in America can be safely assumed to be born-again Christians.
Add in all of the other social ills, divorces, and moral sins that we find within churches today, and I would say that the number is lower than that.
Although we may have steady upward growth in church numbers and people claiming to belong to a local church, the only conclusion I can reach is that churches are continuing to grow with scores and scores of unsaved people who believe in their own merit as qualification for entering Heaven.
—
CS
Pat on Mon, November 24, 2008
I don’t think the Church is in decline, but it’s definitely changing. Your article says “The percentage of Americans that belong to a local congregation is actually INCREASING in the country. In fact, church membership is much, much higher in 2008…” Do you mean “membership” in the traditional sense in that people have gone through a formal membership process or in the sense that they are regular attenders at a particular church? I think that aspect of church has definitely changed. What I seem to be seeing at our church are people who enjoy the worship, come fairly regularly, but haven’t necessarily plugged in to any ministries or classes. Or, if they have plugged in, it seems to be into ministries that are outward focused like going out to the homeless or working in the neighborhoods. Our in-house ministries seem to struggle for volunteers.
Tom Fillinger on Mon, November 24, 2008
“Measure ministry by TRANSFORMATION not mere activity.”
This is the focus o our ministry.
http://www.igniteus.net .
The SBC has stated that they have 16>3 million members.
On the best sunday of the year they have 37% or slightly over 6 million in attendance.
The measure of ministry is not membership, especially in the ‘easy believism”, raaise your hand, walk down the isle mode practriced imany churches today.
The Gospel includes confession and repentance. Jesus said “blessed are you in yoou do these things.” Our works do not save us but without evidence of ongoing transformation it is very difficult to offer a credible profile that I am a Christ follower.
David Olson is a most credible researcher and “Yes Virginia, the American Church is in precipitous decline and in need of Reformation and Renewal!!
Tom
Matt on Mon, November 24, 2008
I attended the Whiteboard sessions (Spring ‘08) which was a church growth/church planting/church innovation conference.
I remember Mark Dever standing up and starting his talk with this statement:
“I come with no fresh ideas.”
An example of Dever’s call to “Who exactly is building the chuch…”
I like a good dose of Dever’s Godward perspective along with, for instance, a book like “unChristian,” which is more “sky is falling…”
Fred on Mon, November 24, 2008
I am with you Tom. I also think that the emphasis on measurement is far too much like the world. It is a pragmatic tool coming out of the Enlightenment. We depend on it far too much. What we need to emphasise is obedience. That is not to be measured. God will be the Measurer for who can know the heart? Granted there are outward sins that must be dealt with corporately, but measurement of success the way we are doing it today puts the emphasis on Man, not God. Be obedient and God will grow His church as He sees fit.
Cindy K on Mon, November 24, 2008
Leonard said:
“Relevancy is not about the word of God but about the language it is spoken.”
Thank you. http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif And I apologize to Wendi if my words came off as some kind of attack. That is not how they were intended. I was asking an honest question. I normally see the word ‘Relevant’ in association with some kind of ‘cutting edge’ or ‘fringe’ outreach program.
And I agree with the number of people who have said that membership does not equate into disciples. But in order for people to become disciples they must move forward on their own. They must be hungry for the gospel, they must have a burning desire to serve. And I can only speak for myself but that stuff all came from the Holy Spirit inside of me.
There was no sermon, or no Pastor, or no worship service, or no welcome video that could have done that for me.
I had and have to be the one that continues to move in the direction that God wants. I have to be the one that seeks God. Not only on Sunday but every day.
And I would not know how to make anyone understand that. But /that/ alone will grow disciples.
Jade on Mon, November 24, 2008
I would say this study is not accurate. Because people who are members may not attend, or they say they due but don’t. And how would they knew way back when who went and who did not?
A long time ago the church was the social structure there was no TV etc. so they went to church and fellowshipped together.
I don’t put too much stock into survey or polls like this.
Fred on Mon, November 24, 2008
“They need to hear how to move from the agricultural examples of Jesus’ words and fit them into today’s surroundings that are decidedly not agricultural. They need to hear how to live today’s life in the light of God’s Word and principles and then grow in wisdom so they can teach others the same. “
Why does the contemporary church make such an issue of this and it was never an issue before? I believe it is because we are not teaching doctrine adequately. If Christ says feed My sheep, I understand that to mean people. The principles Christ taught cross agricultural/urban barriers. I work for a youth ministry that is global in scope. I have never seen this attention placed here on cultural relevancy in foreign countries. God’s Word is what it is and it applies just as is. Only here in America, where we pride ourselves in being pragmatic, business minded, technique driven is all this an issue and I fear an excuse for many things. I assert that most of this is of the world and that is precisely why we see this pragmatic growth in the church. The growth is in the seeker and emergent areas, not in the fundamentally strong churches of doctrine , the praeching of the Word and the delivery of the sacraments. Those churches grow as they always did—-steadily and surely, not in phenomenally huge spurts unless there was a revival by God. I really do not se that happening. These churches are also the ones that the world hates.
Monte Sahlin on Mon, November 24, 2008
There has been an ongoing debate among the researchers who study this kind of information about the numbers of people who participate in a religious congregation of one kind or another. Dr. Stark has always been among the more optimistic of the researchers, but his data very likely over-state reality. The most accurate data are those collected every ten years through the denominations and related networks and published in Religious Congregations and Membership (RCMS). The data from 2000 indicate that 62.7% of Americans are adherents of a religion. But, considerable research has shown that a third to half of these are completely inactive and have not attended church in years.
In his recent book, Dr. Stark wants to simply blow off the considerable research that shows that most of the survyes on church membership and attendance suffer from a considerable “halo effect.” (That is when people tell survery researchers that they do some positive, desirable behavior, but actually do not behave that way: Church attendance, voting, etc.) It is a well-established fact that a certain percent of those who say they go to church or belong to a church do not, in fact do so. He simply does not deal with these data in a serious way.
To what extent there is a “crisis” is a topic for debate, but Dr. Stark’s book simply is not the best or the last word on the raw data. You need to also look at the data at http://www.thearda.com and at the web site of the Harford Institute for Religion Research. Get all the facts on the table before you draw conclusions.
Pastor Monte Sahlin
Chairman
Center for Creative Ministry
Dave on Mon, November 24, 2008
I don’t see much being said about the house church, emerging church movement. I am finding more and more 20 and 30 somethings that get together with 8 to 10 people in a home and this is their church. It is not formally organized with a 501 pedigree. It is not attached to any denomination. It focuses on the Bible and worship music and accountability. It has to be very hard to measure how many true believers are doing this new kind of church.
Having said that I know that the church that I lead is attracting people who called themselves Christians, but were not attending any church on a regular basis. We are also attracting people who did not have a chruch background and liked the idea of attending church at a public school. I think they were afraid of what would happen if they walked into a “real church.”
Last thought - Isn’t the church made up of people who have received forgiveness of their sins through trusting in the payment that Jesus made for us on the cross? It is not just a building or the people who gather at that building. I am working to train our people that true servants of God are serving in the their community - not just at the building on Sunday.
Blessings,
Dave
Phil DiLerniabe on Mon, November 24, 2008
To argue whether the American Church is in some sort of decline is really a ridiculous argument when we get down to it. Decline from what? From the church of the 1800’s who supported slavery as “relevant?” From the church of the 1950’s who support Jim Crow as “relevant?” From the church of the 1960’s who didn’t want “those hippies” inside their church? From the church of the 2000’s who support a President who lies just because he claims to be “born again?”
If the Jesus of Scripture were here today in the physical sense (oops ... He is ... that’s HIS CHURCH!) then He would do what He did when He was here the first time ... correct and rebuke His people for their sins so they could be more like Him and by those changed lives would become the witnesses that He wants us to be through our love for one another so the world knows we belong to Him. (We cannot love the none believer if we don’t love the believer.) If I remember scripture correctly the last communication that Jesus has with HIS churches was to write them letters where He reminded them of where they were failing ... even if it was in one area only!
Is the church in decline? Nope. It’s the same that it always was ... and always will be if we believe the scripture. Our job as pastors and leaders is to communicate the totality of scripture in a manner that portrays God as truthful, loving, interesting, relevant, and hopeful.
When Jesus’ church is not declining but is truly partcipating with God in growing His Kingdom watch out! Things will change! Communities, nations, and the world will be shaken. People will be divided and choices will have to be made between the two Kingdoms. This is what our ministry is truly about and I thank God that He’s allowed me to be a small part of it.
Fred on Mon, November 24, 2008
Phil, I agree with the statement, “what are we declining from” when you characterize the “from” as you do. What we are declining from though is doctrine. It is the Word of God. It is the five solas of the Reformation and of the original church. It is basic obedience.
I also agree that leaders should be teaching the Biblical principles. Then why do we have a culture where the youth tell the elders of a society how it is going to be? Where is that in Scripture? You talk about youth afraid of being rejected. That might happen and that is unfortunate, but then again what are they afraid of being rejected about? If they would be obeying their parents and the traditions of a society as set forth by the elders of the society, what would they be rejected for? This is part of the problem. The lack of respect for tradition set by elders/parents of society, lack of repect for history period and for the history of the church specifically. The contemporary generations want to make church the away they want to make it. That is a bad idea for they do not understand the past. What they understand is what they reject from the past. There is some things that need rejected as you point out and those things are usually rejected by the true church anyways. But the truth is what they reject is the ways of the elders. That is our Western society and in particular , American society and so the church. It is not being faithful to the heirarchial structure set forth by God. That is part of original sin. Eve did not want to obey her husband, and they did not want to obey God.
I will admit to the fact that many of the leaders are the elders of the society even today. But many of these leaders have come out of the rebellion of the 60’s and have never been true to that Biblical . So what they promote is cultuarl rebellion perpetuated. Same in the secular world. So the sins of the Fathers are truly being visted of the successive generations and they know it not.. They are like fish in the water. They can not tell you what water is like for they have nothing to compare it too. That is the modern church and society.
Phil DiLernia on Mon, November 24, 2008
Hi Fred:
I’m not sure what you mean about what are our youth afriad of? I didn’t post anything concerning our youth?
But when you say you agree with me about my take on ‘yesterday’s’ church you can better understand what our youth are rejecting. Yes, of course youth should respect their elders. However, I believe the bible is equally clear that our elders should be worthy of our respect. I say to you that too many times in our past, as you fully agreed, our churches were not worthy of respect.
I think, to some degree, what our youth culture is forcing us to do is great and could be used by God for His purposes. They are forcing us to rethink what the purpose of God’s church is. Is it to sing hymns only, with the hymnbook only, to wear suits only, to pay professionsals to evangelize only (missionaries), to grasp onto ministry as if it’s theirs and not God, to disrespect their church leaders while expecting their children to respect their home leaders, to be materialistic while expecting their congregation to not live materialistically? The list goes on and on.
I believe that the reason for such a lack of respect of our youth is twofold:
1- sin in the youth
2- sin in the adults causing the youth to reject their authorities
That’s my take for whatever it’s worth.
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