Is the American Church Really in Decline?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Sun, November 23, 2008
- Viewed 251
- (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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Jim on Mon, November 24, 2008
I’m always reminded of former British Priminister Disraelis opinion of statistice: “first come white lies, next comes d… lies, and then comes statistics”. Of course, these statistics aren’t to just be dismissed, and they will certainly raise valuable discussion within the Christian community. Yet, from where I sit, within our tri-state area, I’m hearing more concern about a decline in church attendance than growth, and I don’t see any evidence that this is going to change in anytime soon, since revival isn’t evident within our area.
Jaded on Mon, November 24, 2008
Why should anyone go to church?
If the test is believing (say) the Barna list of qualifications necessary for salvation, going to church isn’t in there.
And as long as we have Christians telling other Christians they’re going to hell for not believing the exact same doctrine as they do, why should anyone be a Christian?
There will always be someone with a tighter, more restrictive definition of what it takes. I grew up in a very fundamentalist environment where if you drank, danced or had sex before marriage you were hell-bound for sure.
That is what leads Baptists to condemn all Methodists because requiring a born-again experience or believer’s baptism isn’t part of their theology.
As long as a church has as its purpose to look down upon and condemn other Christians, that church ought to shrink.
Phil DiLernia on Mon, November 24, 2008
I agree, Jaded, that our churches shouldn’t be seen as condemning ... however I hope you’ll agree that scripture is clear that:
1- drunkeness in wrong
2- dancing can be wrong if done in a manner disapproving in God’s eyes
3- sex outside marriage is wrong
I have found that young people appreciate, for the most part, someone who loves them enough to tell them the truth while at the same time not condemining them but pointing them to Jesus Christ. It’s what Paul called “the truth in love.” It is an impossible task on our own and will cause us to be too harsh or too soft unless God Himself is called upon to bring about the results He desires.
Rich Kirkpatrick on Mon, November 24, 2008
The crisis is not necessarily who is attending, regardless of the numbers, but who isn’t. We are losing more than ever the younger generation. No longer can we just get people to come to church. We have to live lives that speak by actions more than by words.
This might actually make churched people leave their churches if it means they have to live out loving their neighbor rather than just being a pew warmer. Church becomes attractive to the non-Christian in this case, and unpopular to the churched folks on the other. That is the crisis, in my opinion, regardless of the overall stats mentioned.
Dr. James Willingham on Mon, November 24, 2008
Sirs: While the statistics might be better, the power seems less. And yet the same was true in the days of Edwards until the Great Awakening and then the country was full of sound and fury. There was a decline hastened somewhat by the Revolution, then another Great Awakening. After that a period of peace and then the sound and the fury returned. Isa.11:9 & Hab.2:14 suggest a time when the earth will be filled with his knowledge and glory as the waters cover the sea, Let us plead those promises for a Third Great Awakening, one that takes the whole earth not by anything but the presence of Heaven. Some have been praying for such a thing for years, many years. 35 in one case, 50 in another.
Wendi Hammond on Mon, November 24, 2008
Cindy K – no offense taken. I appreciate your question and I guess I too have noticed that some people change marketing strategies to become relevant, but that is not what relevant means to me.
Of course the Word of God is eternally relevant, but sometimes churches are not.
For me, relevancy answers the question “So what difference does it make if I decide to follow Jesus?” That I get to go to heaven when I die does not make enough difference for me to change my life, sacrifice everything. Neither does being able to articulate the tenants of the faith. To those offerings of relevancy, I think many people today would say “yea . . . so what?” (I know I would).
Relevancy happens when I become convinced that God will actually use me (yes ME) to advance His kingdom. Relevancy happens when I realize that I’m becoming a new person (which is not the same as acting less sinful – though this might be a byproduct). My church provides a venue for me to make a kingdom difference. My church continually celebrates how we, together as a faith community, are being transformed and being used to transform our community and the world.
If a church is doing this, then my hunch is that their attendance is going up, because it is a compelling place. If not, then my guess is it’s a church in decline.
Wendi
James on Tue, November 25, 2008
Great Blog Todd; I enjoyed the read and everyone’s comments. Many sides of the issue, which points out that there is no simple one size fits all answer.
I am convinced, along with many of you, the call to connect people with a living relationship with Jesus is paramount. Whether “formal” church attendance is increasing or decreasing does not deter my determination to be relevant and progressive in our day.
My personal take is that church attendance is decreasing, but interest and desire for people to connect with God is increasing.
I believe people are looking for an authentic connection/relationship with God.
Personally I see the church not being able to connect relevance and life to the needs of our culture. So much of the time I observe the church involved in way too much self-maintenance and preservation of past historical tradition. Our present church life finds itself spending most of it’s offerings in building/staff/and program maintenance. There is very little dollar/time/energy left to evangelize and develope people with skills to meet the challenges of this present culture.
In my locale church attendance seems to be holding its own. And contrary to modern opinion stated, the Catholic church is one church that is on the increase and thriving.
I have witness three large churches (one of whom I was the music pastor) decline from 1,000 plus members to less than half that amount in the past 10 years.
What I have seen a preponderance of growth in is small independent churches who are flexible, small-group oriented and able to nagivate the waters of change and relevance much easier and faster. One last point, a large church where I was the music-pastor instituted a ministry to plant churches. That church has planted over 20 churches in the last 15 years. AND one of those church plant “explorations” was the planting of “house” churches. Not small groups in a home, but bonified “house” churches.
God bless all, thank you for your sharing.
kc on Wed, November 26, 2008
Research is about numbers and numbers are not an indication of spiritual health. The important issue is not how many we have in our churches. The issue is the spiritual condition of believers in our churches. Spiritual health is the critical factor in determining “the state of the church” not numbers.
Some small churches think that large churches aren’t “spiritual”. Some large churches think that smaller churches aren’t spiritual. Size has nothing to do with “spiritual”.
The spiritual health of a congregation is what is evaluated by God. He doesn’t care what the size of a church is. He doesn’t need numbers to get His work done.
God desires a group of people who are in a right relationship with Him and who are in right relationships with each other.
He can always get His work done. The Creation story bears witness to that. But, God has chosen to use people and it doesn’t matter what the numbers are; it matters about the condition of the hearts of His people.
You can’t survey or research people’s hearts. Only God can do that.
Leonard on Wed, November 26, 2008
KC,
Of course numbers matter. In this topic numbers are people and people matter to God. God cares if our churches grow in both size and depth. He strongly desires we become people who are reaching the lost, growing the found and equipping people to do the same. That is what makes a healthy church.
Andy McAdams on Wed, November 26, 2008
I completely disagree that the stats offered here are showing that the church in America is in better shape then we thought.
I didn’t read everyone’s comments so perhaps someone else already noted this.
The information is based on this comment:
% of Americans Who Belong to a Local Congregation
However, most stats offered by other groups are based on “People Attending”, which is a more realistic evaluation.
I have worked with churches all over the country and often the church membership rolls are 2 to 3 times higher then attendance.
In some areas of the country, you have to be a member of a church to be buried in the church’s cemetery so people come, join and are never seen again.
I tend to think that Barna is correctwhen he reports that - “No more then 38% of the population attends church at all and that’s in the Bible belt. The next highest is the Midwest at 25%, West 21% and the Northeast 17%.”
Ryan on Mon, January 26, 2009
I “left” the church in ninth grade and officially anointed myself an atheist soon after that. I’ve never had such joy and relief in my life as I did that day.
It is impossible to say whether there is a decline or increase. The number for both sides are so fuzzy that people can bend them either way to meet their own goals.
Tom Fillinger on Mon, January 26, 2009
Ryan,
You may have ‘left’ some organization that existed under the banner ‘church’. That means culturally they met in a building with a steeple, etc.
The church of Jesus Crhist is an organic body, the family of God. We cannot abandon our family of origin. Neither can a person leave the church that I just described.
I have met legions who as you are were disillusioned and perhaps with cause. It is important to recognize the distinctions I just articulated.
I welcome continued exchanges with you and would be delighted to give you hope and genuine friendship.
In Grac,e
Tom
Daddy Dave on Mon, June 08, 2009
My own church has continually failed to reach anyone outside their own economic and social strata. I was very, very involved in the church for 25 years but now realize that this definition of Christianity is self-serving. It isn’t for me. I may soon be one of those who’ve left the church. I’ll be feeding the hungry and helping people in 3rd world countries while my church endlessly discusses whether they can return to previous levels of the Missions budget prior to the multi-million dollar expansion that has left the church badly in debt. They’ve missed the mark and I’m done trying to hold up that end of the world.
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