Insane

A recent denominational publication carried the annual statistical report. Just like every year for more than a decade, more like two or three, the numbers show declining membership. That's over twenty years of continuous, steady decline. This issue of the newspaper also reported the steady drop in contributions to the denominational church body. In urgent response I'm sure they'll commission another study and redouble their efforts to keep doing what hasn't worked for over twenty years.

There's a word people in recovery from addiction use for doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Insanity. If this is accurate...and I believe it is...most major Christian denominations in the United States today are insane. Of course, if the goal is something other than growth, if they're not interested in adding to the number of people who know and follow Christ, then they should keep doing exactly what they're doing. It's apparently working! But, if stagnation and decline are acceptable, then why count? Some of the staunchest defenders of decline (they'll say they are protecting doctrinal purity, theological accuracy and the traditions of the denomination) will tell you that it's not about the numbers. These were the people in the 1980's and '90's who opposed the "Church Growth Movement", a radical attempt by some churches in the denomination to find out what might work to attract new people to Jesus Christ. If numbers aren't important and being attractive to those who don't know Christ so that you might welcome them into the family doesn't matter, I ask again, why count?

In business ignoring twenty years of steady decline is tantamount to signing your own death warrant. It's a tacit acceptance that your business is a failure and, if you don't make radical changes, it will cease to exist. The same is true for the church. Let's stop spiritualizing failure and start asking the really, really hard questions like, "why are we so completely ineffective in areas that really matter?" When we find answers, and we can find answers, the response cannot be doing more of the same.