August 21

Day 160: Autopsy of a Dead and Dying Church

As I've mentioned in posts past, something between 8,000 and 12,000 churches in North America will close their doors for good this year. Staggering thought, really.

Certainly, some of those closures will be attributed to financial constraints related to Covid, and rightly so. Other closures (like some Covid statisticians have recorded deaths) will be falsely attributed to Covid, but only to perpetuate a sub-narrative.

While churches will die in this next year, it's my persuasion that many of those are, perhaps unknowingly, already on their death beds. There are observable reasons. And these reasons can be observed in churches in any city, our city included. I offer 3.

First, churches and denominations that have migrated from orthodoxy to liberalism are not insured much of a lifespan. People don't stick around, if there's nothing distinctive about their church versus their world.

Second, dying or dead churches have lost a generation; likely two generations. Someone once said, "The first generation believes; the second generation assumes; the third generation doubts and the fourth generation rejects."

Meaning, we may see some churches having fathered a second generation that assumes they're all "good to go" with Jesus (while not bothering to grow their faith in the context of Biblical community.) In turn birthing a third generation that doubts (that anything related to Jesus and His Church is necessary at all. Just be a "good person.")

My third observation (with sub points): Leadership development, or the lack thereof. Churches who haven't birthed leaders end up with no leadership. Sometimes a potential leader has to leave the home church, simply to get some playing time. Why?

Sub point A: Some veteran church leaders hang on too long, protecting their own place until retirement, rather than encouraging the longevity of their church by raising up younger leaders, and then getting out of the way. (I so hope this is never said of me.)

Sub point B: Some potential leaders are not equipped and installed because they don't want to be.

Some potential leaders will self-select...out. Some never seem to complete the first book they're assigned to read. Some refuse to take on a new skill or experience, not wanting to be seen in anything less than their best light. It's human nature to critique a leader rather than be a leader.

Sub point C: Some others want to be heard. They want to express opinions and gain consensus and respect, without any required action on their own part. (This is why a cadre of elders can easily slip into becoming a board of directors.)

A weak spot with men is that we like title and authority, but not responsibility, let alone obligation. In other words, we like the elder position, just not the pastor role that comes with it.

Sub point D: Some potential leaders are simply too busy. Advancing a career, taking on a mortgage and raising a family is all indeed time consuming stuff. Sometimes, it's just the reality of not enough margin.

Enough sub points. Now for full disclosure: I've made mistakes in everything I've just written.

In times past I have encouraged younger men into church leadership when they were not called by the Spirit to be so. I've mistakenly encouraged young men toward church leadership when they did not have the margin, or the maturity. (There's a reason elders and called elders after all.)

I have waited too long for the development of some, and not long enough for the development of others. I have sometimes failed to see that what was once a good season for a leader has not continued into the present season.

Raising leaders comes with great risk. I am not risk-aversive, sometimes to my own peril. With this, I've had my heart broken, sometimes by my own doing.

Some potential leaders have simply not worked out. Because they were not supposed to, whether I acknowledged that early on or not. I have believed in some more than they did themselves. And the collateral damage has been disheartening.

But try we must, with all incumbent risks included. Our church must do whatever necessary to raise up the next generation as a believing generation. The first generation (in the home) is primarily responsible. The first generation (through the church) is given truth and context, encouragement and support.

And we must continue to uncover, inspire, develop, equip and install continuing church leadership; those whom God has called. The "Leadership Pipeline" must always have occupants.

Or, they'll be doing an autopsy on us some day too.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau