The Emptying of the Church

There was recently an Atlantic article entitled, “The Misunderstood Reason Millions of Americans Stopped going to Church” that was making its rounds. It kind of hit a nerve with folk. At base the article noted that 40 million Americans have dropped out of congregational life in the last 25 years. Some folk stopped attending due to the ongoing scandals of clergy abuse and misconduct. Similarly folk are staying away due to a general sense that the Church is corrupt.

              But, the largest barrier between people and pews is Workism. If you work 60-70 hours a week, your primary drive for life outside of work is finding a little sabbath and alone time, not community and the work of the church. Essentially, modern capitalism has exhausted people to the point that they experience Church as too much for them. And here is the kicker in this article, the Church isn’t seen as offering anything counter to Workism.

Counterintuitively, the Church isn’t asking enough of these exhausted people. If church is just a place you have to commute to on a Sunday and sit in a pew for an hour and then commute home—that’s not compelling (even if it is “easy”). But if it is a place that affirms that you have dignity outside of your hustle, where you are upheld in community, where you find rest for your weary soul, where other people really need you, it might be worth it.

The examples of church working well as a counterforce to Workism that the article cites are Christian Communes and International Living situations. As someone who has been involved in communities like that, I can say they are amazing and lifegiving, even as there have been moments where they’ve been stifling. Also, with very few exceptions, Intentional Christian Communities are a young person’s game. Essentially, we’re out of the house and jazzed about the open possibilities of life, let’s combine our possessions and live together like Jesus or monks, or better yet both!

I have my own assessment of the forces that are shaping the North American Church, namely the 3 D’s, Disestablishment, Decentralization, and Demographic Shift. That said, I do think the article captures something worth lifting up.

1. I’ve seen parishioners plug into ministries they find meaningful, for example: interesting bible studies, small groups that have become something more, food pantry, etc. and there is a draw that goes beyond duty or expectation, they really do experience good news in community.

2. Recapturing the fervor and possibility of 20-something Christians in community is an exciting prospect.