Why Churches Die

I have lived through two church deaths. Both were suicidal since they killed themselves. I am forlorn because I had confidence that both could be resuscitated but it seemed that they did not want to be! Each church had a small core who would always remain faithful but not large enough to pay the bills. Those last few are to be commended for staying but not for being part of the death. I saw the signs but had no power to change things. Of course, God has the power but their must be those willing to change.
              Change is directional. Negative change is easier. It requires little work. On the other hand positive change means hard work, and there are differences in opinion about what is positive change. Positive change is not mimicking the world. The world is not to change the Church but the Church the world. That is the one and only purpose of the Church, but alas, the Church has failed. (Church capitalized meaning the true Church). 

                What kills the Church?

Doctrine:

                Sometimes doctrine is well-intended but not constructive. For instance, I admire those who shun the world by dressing primitively. An Amish man told me that it was to demonstrate to the world that their people were willing to be different than the world by making sacrifices. A Mennonite said dress in modesty was to forgo extravagant dress. Those are good reasons but how will their denomination churches ever grow when the most obvious doctrine is apparel? Overly strict dress codes stunt the growth of churches. When people are truly born-again, their nature will change. They will dress more modestly, not because of regulation but choice.
                Modesty in dress is much more than asceticism. Extravagant dress can be as well. I know people who won’t attend churches if it looks like a high society fashion show. Extravagant dress is a church killer and is immodest from the standpoint of pride. Of course, that is not doctrine of those churches but practice. I’ve had people say, you should wear your best to church. John the Baptist wore camel-hair clothing. I often wear blue jeans and a polo short. John and I consider that as “our best” although certainly we could have afforded better.
               I deviated from doctrine for a moment and turned to ritual. More on that shortly.
                The doctrine of “speaking in tongues” creates discord in Christians. It was certainly practiced in the early Church but not thereafter. I suppose people avoid Churches for what seems like foolish doctrine. It is okay to speak in tongues if that comes on a Christian but to make it essential doctrine when it is not divides. Not “speaking in tongues” is another frivolous doctrine. The test, of course, is translation. I have never heard two people validating another unknown tongue-speaker. It is a simple test and easily done by blind testing.
               Lack of sound doctrine seems to make the Church grow but grow into what is the question! The Doctrine of Christ is two-fold: (1) sin is bad and (2) love is good. Accepting iniquity in the church certainly grows the numbers but kills the reason for even having church. A church without love are not Christ-followers but Satan’s. Doctrine is necessary but must be sound doctrine. Two much legalism will kill the church as readily as antinomianism – too much laxity. The former kills the numbers and the latter the intent.

Ritual:

                Ritual is standardization of worship. Having order is important but order has no efficacy for salvation. When ritual becomes too extreme, Christianity becomes Simonism – a technique of being a Christian. There is one technique and one only – “you must be born-again,” (John 3:3). Then John 3:16 tells why! The former is essential for the latter.
                Churches can be ritualistic in their phraseology. Many nowadays avoid the phrase “born again” and substitute “salvation experience”. Rebirth is leads to that experience, A doctrinal question which requires much debate is when is salvation. Born-again is time independent of salvation and scripture does not say one must have a salvation experience but one must be born again. Do you know the difference? If not, it is imperative that you find out!
               Other terms for the theologian are justification, sanctification, glorification and such. David Jeremiah knows what they mean but does the average Christian? The preacher should use the KISS principle – keep it simple stupid – because for the most part modern Christians are theologically stupid! That’s not a thing of shame. Nicodemus could read the Word but still not understand even being a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1).  People aren’t born-again because they don’t know what it even is! Churches use too much church talk.
                When I was an adolescent, I was a candle-bearer in a ritualistic church. There were many other rituals which were meaningless to God because they were done perfunctorily without emotion. Nowadays even communion is taken in a frivolous manner. Open communion, if you even know what that is, is a good thing but it is only for those truly born again. If it is taken by one “unworthily” (1 Cor 1:27) it is mere ritual.  No one is worthy of being born again, but on the other hand they are worthy of remembering Christ if they are of Christ. Communion is a time for repentance so as not to be irreverent.
               My own fundamentalist church has some rituals which could scare the uninitiated. At prayer time the whole church just drifts to the alter for communal prayer. It doesn’t bother me but imagine a visitor unfamiliar with the ritual. It would seem odd if not scary!
                Going forward means nothing to the unbeliever who never has experienced an evangelical service. I’ve been to churches where people went forward and nothing happened there. One service, I went forward to see of the leaders knew what to do! Maybe that was dishonest but they didn’t. Deacons should know how to counsel and explain how to be born-again. They don’t seem to know how although that is their purpose. Some preachers don’t even know how to do that!

Seniority System: 

                Preachers can kill the church by overstaying their calling! I have seen that often twice in the church which I attended at different times. The preacher announces that God has told them to move on but later recant: God changed his mind!  Longevity in one church may not be a good thing. Preachers may need the church more than the church needs the preacher. It has become a vocation, not a ministry. People quit coming because of that. Not helping any, is that it confirms ritual, and stagnates believers. Even deacons must change periodically. Churches need metrics to evaluate whether its leaders are growing the church or withering it. Seniority must not be one of the metrics!

Lack of Knowledge:

                People must know the Doctrine of Christ, and the leaders must know the Word inside and out. That is obtained by study. Preachers are paid to study and must do so s if it was a job because it is. Deacons are paid but if they don’t know the word, maybe someone else is more qualified. The non-scriptural and unessential doctrine eliminating those divorced from serving God is very catholic of churches and discouraging to those whose marriage failed. Repented murders can be deacons but those who have repented of failing in marriage cannot. Those with the motivation, calling, and knowledge are side-lined when they could be serving God.
                Those in the Church must be trained on essential doctrine. The modern church is more into psychology than Christianity – how to feel good rather than serve others. The mega-churches are usually focused on feel-good theology. That gets people to church but not to Heaven!

Unfriendliness: 

                Most churches have cliques. They may be by family, by age group, by interests, by popularity, by socio-economic status or others. Satan conquers by division. Cliques divide. They are doing what Satan wants!
                I watch people. They gather with those they prefer. They show love to specific people. Seldom does a group adopt a new group member without the newcomer having commonality. Many, as myself, have no family at church, and others are our families. Imagine going to church and not being part of it! I call that being alone in a crowd!
                One day I saw a college-age young man sitting in the back by himself. I spoke with him. It was his first time there. I watched those his age. He was invisible to them because they were with who they desired to be with. I even asked a young man to go back and welcome him. He agreed but didn’t follow through. The young man never returned. I see that often with visitors. The attitude of the church seems to be, why waste my time; they probably won’t come back anyway?
               At one time I led the visitation team. Not only did we go out and invite new people but encouraged others to come back. As the leader, I had thirty-some people on the visitation team. Many new people were coming to church… for a while; until they realized how unfriendly the church was! When people come, someone needs to befriend them. Unfriendliness kills the church.                Most of the families and other types of cliquishness are good people and superficially friendly. They just aren’t genuine in their friendship. I’ve seen cases where a Christian offended another and the friendship was lost. Everyone has sinned and missed the mark (Rom 3:23) but some self-righteous Christians act as if they have never sinned! Some hard-headed people will never reconcile because of pride. Reconciliation is forgiving, forgetting, loving, and including. That is beneath the dignity of some!
               Those alone in the church must also be included in social activities outside the church. My best ministry before I retired was taking new people out for dinner after church; not the same people time and again, but new ones. That is how to include others. Many lasting friendships have been formed. Some of my friends had been in the mafia and drug-users as well as dealing. They became good friends and appreciated my friendship. I reaped the benefits!
               I changed churches a few years ago because a Christian Larry-hater refused to reconcile. Stubborn people wither the church. Before the Holy Spirit works in a church its members must be of one accord. (Acts 2:1). One only need to watch from the sidelines to see the discord in churches on the way to withering! There may be many there but they are apart!

Ineffective Prayer:

                Of course, all prayer is acceptable if prayed by a person who has been born-again. However, all prayer is not effective. Most often people pray for things, outcomes, or healing. Those are all worthy things. On the other hand, praying for the very souls of others is demonstrating more love that for praying for their sickness to subside. Love, as exemplified by John 3:16, is desiring that “none should perish” yet churches for the most part have neglected praying for that spiritual outcome. Most prayer requests are for healing physically, not spiritually. The church withers because church-goers forget the most important prayers. Think on that: the church is people who have been persuaded but members spend little time persuading and praying for persuasion. Those two things grow the church and not doing them withers it.

Narcissism:              

                Burger King’s jingle is, have it your way. Why? Because to them, you are king! The congregants all seem to want it their way. Some expect admiration, praise, and other forms of recognition. It’s God who is to be magnified, and part of being born-again is realizing that we are not gods. My personal narcissism is that I don’t like bands up front. It seems to me that church becomes more about them than God and is more entertaining than magnifying. Others may see it differently and the numbers may grow but will the Spirit be there? Contemporary churches depend on the bands to encourage the youth. That does get them there but does it really grow the church? I don’t have the solution but if everyone remembers that church is about God, then the problem is self-resolving.  Churches are holy ground and the service must at all times be holy. That is not for me and you to say what is or is not but of the focus is on the person or talent, it can destroy the church.

                There are many more withering actions but the reader should get the idea. The church is a place to love others and God and to magnify God. Love changes things! Personally, I am unhappy when even one of my Christian brothers despise me. How can one sing with joy when there is hatred in the air?