“There is Something Wrong with the Church.”
I heard this exact phrase at a leadership conference recently. “There is something wrong with the church.” To illustrate the point, the speaker noted that only around 11% of the Gen Z population, (born between 1997 and 2015, and as of this writing: 12 to 27 years old,) is attending church.
In fact, if you look at any research at all, Gen Z is not the only demographic that is waning in church connection. All across the board, generation to generation, Black, White, Hispanic, … Catholic and Protestant … Each generation is showing a decline in attendance and affiliation.
For Gen Z, their reasons are varied as to why they are not attending. Some of the top reasons are: a) Infighting regarding worship times, music and facilities; b) Not worth the time/irrelevant to their life; c) Dislike being told answers, would rather discover for themselves; d) Seeing other communities / secular organizations, as having the same authority or being just as important; and many more.
As a minister, I have heard all the internal arguments made as to why the Church is in decline. It’s easy to point back at the culture and blame lackadaisical attitudes, selfishness, rock music, the 60’s, taking prayer out of school, the internet, politicians, single parent homes, sports on Sundays, and a myriad of other things. What I don’t often hear is how the Church has failed to be relatable to the generations.
So, yes, something IS wrong with the Church. Overall, for a variety of reasons, mainstream, traditional churches refuse to be adaptable and relate to the community in which they find themselves, therefore, very few new disciples are being made of any generation. Then they look out of their stained glass windows at the outside world, see it spiraling, and wonder why folks won’t come in? They are waiting for God to move, speak or do something that will drive the masses into their building. Trouble is, God is talking, they are just not listening!
So, what’s the solution? Well, I can tell you one thing. It’s not prayer. When we say that prayer is the solution, we are letting people off the hook. More often than not, the Christian will offer up a 15 second, half-hearted prayer and then they are all done. They have done their part, nothing more will be required of them. Prayer always has a part, but it must be yoked with intentional action as well.
Something else that it is not, is a desperate cling to traditionalism in the hopes that it will somehow produce results. We are not going to bring back the glory days of the 90’s, so why are we attempting to ‘do church’ as if we can? This inwardly focused idea, that church should be about what “I want,” “I need,” or “how is the church serving me?,” is self-destructive.
The solution is actually rather simple and it is two fold. One, an authentic gospel, preached from the Word of God, which is completely sufficient and authoritative. The impetus to water down the gospel, attempting to draw some meaning that is solely for the benefit of a particular demographic, in order to keep it from offending someone, must stop. A Church that will not stand on the Word of God will not stand at all.
The other part of the solution is an authentic relationship, with Gen Z in particular. This generation is seeking connection and mentorship. With both school and work life being predominantly behind a screen, where can they go to be with people? The Church is an excellent resource for this, but it has to get out of its own way. Further, the impetus is NOT on the people coming in, the impetus is on the Church to reach out and connect with them. We, the Christian, must make the effort. We must get involved in their lives, journey along with them, share in their search for meaning and truth and when the opportunity presents itself, introduce them to Jesus.
Rev. Dr. Sean D. Holloway
Lead Pastor,
First Baptist Church of Greenwood, IN