Has the Church Outlived Her Usefulness?

In many areas of the country, pastors are reporting that church attendance is at an all-time low. This does not affect mega-churches on the same level that it affects small, community churches. If this is true, it begs the question as to why. Why are people not attending and in many instances not supporting ministries as they once did?

In African American communities, the church was once the pillar of the neighborhood, the pastors well respected and members committed to the nuances of being in a faith community. In fact once considered hallowed ground by even the nefarious element of the community, the church had the respect of all. One would never hear of a church robbery or desecration in any manner. Furthermore, even those who were outside of the church, would "straighten up and fly right" as they approached church property of even the presence of pastors or those mothers of the church.

Today, we see perhaps what the Apostle Paul describes as the "falling away" in 2Thessalonians 2:3. Are we experiencing the realization of this prophetic word from Paul? If one examines the evidence, it would be hard to argue that the church as an institution maintains the same influence it once wielded. People seem to be dissatisfied with institutions in general and religious institutions in particular. Every major denomination is reporting a drop in attendance, loss of revenue and the view of indifference from those who remain in the pews.

If these things be true, then there must be reasons for their occurrence, valid or not, but reasons nonetheless. In speaking with many people who once attended church but now do not, one recurring theme keeps surfacing on the horizon of this conversation. People believe that the church as an organization is hypocritical and hyper-judgmental. They believe that churches tolerate sinful behavior among their members and leaders, while publically condemning those outside of their memberships.

Before we react with our emotions, it is fair to address these concerns based on whether they are meritorious complaints. Does the church tolerate sinful behavior among leaders and members, with an eye of Pharisaical judgment toward those who do not belong? This is a legitimate question to ponder in an age where church attendance is dropping, and criticism of God's house is on the rise. Certainly, many of us may be able to point to instances where the behavior of church leaders and members has not reflected the values espoused in the Gospel of Christ. In fact, if enough of us recall these instances and their frequency, then perhaps we arrive at a point that evidences the complaint against us.

What seems to be true in all of this is that very public instances of poor Christian testimony deals a serious blow to the witness of the church in a culture that is no longer willing to "look the other way" at hypocritical behavior. In addition, we must consider the means by which we exalt leadership beyond their ability to sustain. In many black churches, tradition mandates the elevation of pastors to positions of spiritual completion that make failure catastrophic. Whether we like it or not, we all, including our spiritual leaders, are works in progress.

In fact, the standards of behaviors for church leaders are higher than for those they lead. They should be because this is what Scripture teaches (See James 3). Yet when there is no provision for restoration of the repentant leaders, then can there really be restoration for any? Galatians 6:1-3 teaches, "1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." (NKJV) There is a mandate for us to restore.

So why then does it seem that people have lost faith in the church as an organized institution? Perhaps it is the failure to address issues of sinful behavior in a public and biblical manner, which includes a public process of restoration. People who are not Christians know Christians fail; one need not be spiritually mature to recognize that fact. Maybe what they seek is a place that is honest and open about failure, preaching and practicing repentance as well as restoration.

The truth is that many of our houses of worship are in decline or barely maintaining, with 20% of the people doing 80% of the giving. This leads to distress among members and leaders, while potentially having a negative impact on the spread of the Gospel. Let us who believe, search our own hearts, then address these issues within our congregations and see if we can reach more of our people for Christ.