Five Lessons We Learned from Deceased Churches
by Thom S. Rainer
Founder & CEO Lifeway Christian Resources
It has been a decade since we did our original research on churches that have closed their doors. Our findings were published in my book, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, in 2014. Our work obviously hit a nerve since the book became a number-one bestseller.
Church Answers has continued to talk with church members and leaders whose churches closed or those that were on the precipice of death. While the original information in Autopsy of a Deceased Church is still relevant, there is more information we’ve gleaned since then. We will release that information in a major new resource in January 2023.
For now, let us share with you five updated lessons from churches that closed.
1. The churches had no ongoing effort to reach the unchurched in the community to become churched.
That last phrase, “to become churched,” is key. Many of the churches had good ministries to their communities, but they were not intentional about inviting them and getting them to become a part of the worship and small group gatherings of the church.
- The pandemic increased the pace of decline and, ultimately, death of the churches.
We’ve noted this reality on several occasions. The pandemic did not change the trends of churches. They exacerbated them.
- The leaders and members of the churches were in denial.
These congregations refused to confront their reality. If they did, it was often too late. [They were blinded by the notion creating a future by attempting to live in their past.]
- The churches did not have new members’ classes to set expectations.
Most of the deceased churches did not have a new members’ class at all. The few that had such classes only provided information; they
did not use the class to set expectations. All of the deceased churches were hurt significantly by decreased attendance patterns of members. Their failure to set expectations was a key reason members attended less frequently.
- The churches kept waiting for the silver bullet.
The most common silver bullet was a new pastor who would turn things around. The second most common silver bullet was a new youth or children’s minister who would do all the work to reach young people. In other words, the members desired to abdicate their ministry responsibilities and pay someone else to do it.
We will unpack more of the issues related to deceased churches in January when we release our new resource.
Sincerely, Thom
At the beginning of 2020, our Church council began reading the book cited here, Autopsy of a Deceased Church. A meaningful discussion began to follow, but soon afterward the COVID-19 virus brought an abrupt end to the discussion.
Still, our current reality remains one of declining worship attendance on Sundays and Wednesdays, scant participation in Sunday school, and a reduced focus on congregational fellowship. As Thom cited in his article above, COVID had something to do with it, but COVID did not create the issue, it merely sped it up. Looking through the history of St. Jacob’s, our congregation has been in noticeable decline for some time.
Our Church Council has recently taken up the conversation on a proposed “NALC Fresh Eyes for Mission Summit” and presented it to the congregation at our annual meeting in December. I believe the Fresh Eyes Summit would be a positive step forward in renewing our
commitment to ministry here in our community and within the greater
Church. It would be most beneficial and productive to have plenty of congregational participation during the summit.
Please ask questions of our congregation leaders concerning this
Fresh Eyes Summit and provide your thoughts, especially as you reflect on the information shared here by Thom Rainer.
I have ten copies of this book Autopsy of a Deceased Church. If anyone would like one, please ask and I will get it to you.
Blessings,
Pastor David
