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In context.. I think most traditional Protestant churches in America (& the Western world) have shrinking congregations (?).. But are actually growing around the globe. The religious marketplace has changed a lot in the US, more options (combined with more atheists) is shrinking old school churches..
But speaking for myself, I value my upbringing in a mainstream Protestant church (and am doing the same for my family now..). When my kids are 18, they can believe and worship anyway they choose tho'..
Maybe the membership will pick up in prison as prisoners obviously have few distractions especially the ones in solitary so they will turn to the Lord, start reading the bible. There are so many distractions in society today that draws us away from the Lord and to our desired venue.
I would speculate the ones growing are poaching members from other churches.
Or that individuals have a smorgasboard of churches to choose from, well I try this one they had coffee and doughnuts before service,however the pastors sermons were too long. Oooh this church they just meet once a week and pastor has evening services too so I can sleep in on Sunday Morning etc.
Poaching? No. We don't actively pursue other church's members.
In my church, we have a significant number of ex-Catholics.
Overall, I think the Westboro Baptist Church has had a huge negative effect on SBs.
I think Westboro was Baptist in name only, and I suspect most people realize that. I am skeptical that the SBC either has a credibility problem because of Westboro, or thinks that they do.
As for poaching ... I don't think most churches have a deliberate strategy to compete with other congregations within their denomination, which I think it what cupper was getting at. In my personal experience I don't recall even much competitiveness with other denominations; our focus was always on "the lost" or "the unchurched". Of course my experience was at the local church level, which was pretty much the only level there was in the IFCA. I'm sure that mainline denominational management hierarchies think about branding relative to other denominations, but for some reason I find it hard to believe that much actual churn happens with people shopping around and changing a lot. True Believers (tm) like to portray less earnest believers as feckless church-shoppers but the truth is that church is a social phenomenon as much as it's anything else, and people don't change for trivial reasons. There has to be significant discomfort to prompt people to change, probably more than would prompt people to just quit altogether. At least that is my intuitive sense of it.
It may well be based upon the style and charisma of individual preachers. Congregations that are growing probably have "better" pastors, the kind who listen, who relate to the changing attitudes of their flocks. The ones shrinking probably are led by those old fashioned hateful fire and brimstone bible waving stereotypes who dont understand that people have changed over the last 50 years.
One factor, anyway.
Some years ago my wife and I were shopping for a church. We are both non practicing Catholics who no longer care for the services and formats and lectures. We found a Nazarene church, with a young pastor and a collection of interesting people.
After a few months my wife started complaining about the music as being uninspired and boring. But the real deal breaker occurred when the pastor started talking about needing our prayer support for his 14 year old daughter, whom the doctors said needed an operation to repair her sciatica. It was a decision he was going to pray over, hoping that God would miraculously cure her.
I spoke to the pastor after service, suggesting the God spent a long time inspiring us to what we now know as modern medicine, and that He led us there so that we would use it to make our lives better. I could tell he was not considering what I said at all.
My wife, on the other had, refused to attend further services, saying that anyone who would not act in the best interest of his own child was not worthy of consideration. We never attended again.
It could well be that attitudes like this particular pastor, repeated in many congregations, is a key factor in the alienating of their congregations.
I think Westboro was Baptist in name only, and I suspect most people realize that. I am skeptical that the SBC either has a credibility problem because of Westboro, or thinks that they do.
As for poaching ... I don't think most churches have a deliberate strategy to compete with other congregations within their denomination, which I think it what cupper was getting at. In my personal experience I don't recall even much competitiveness with other denominations; our focus was always on "the lost" or "the unchurched". Of course my experience was at the local church level, which was pretty much the only level there was in the IFCA. I'm sure that mainline denominational management hierarchies think about branding relative to other denominations, but for some reason I find it hard to believe that much actual churn happens with people shopping around and changing a lot. True Believers (tm) like to portray less earnest believers as feckless church-shoppers but the truth is that church is a social phenomenon as much as it's anything else, and people don't change for trivial reasons. There has to be significant discomfort to prompt people to change, probably more than would prompt people to just quit altogether. At least that is my intuitive sense of it.
I pastor an IFB Baptist Church. I've never heard anyone even mention Westboro. They are not affiliated with any Baptist organization. Of course, either am I for that matter, lol.
I don't have time to worry about poaching other church members. Ridiculous. Over the years, I've had families leave to go to another IFB church across town as well as other denominations. They all have their reasons, some want a smaller church, some I'm sure don't like me, some get their noses out of joint. I am not upset in the least when they leave. Recently, we hired a Hispanic pastor and he's opened a Hispanic IFB church in our old church building on our property. Some people were upset with the logistics of this, but 3 months into it these tensions have subsided.
We don't have any competitiveness with other denominations. In fact, I work with seven other churches in town on the homeless shelter, church meals, food bank, clothing bank, and medical transport to name a few of our joint ministries.
We don't have any competitiveness with other denominations. In fact, I work with seven other churches in town on the homeless shelter, church meals, food bank, clothing bank, and medical transport to name a few of our joint ministries.
Nice to hear and that's how it works in most Canuck cities and towns.
some of you have hit on it for me. Things change, times change, and people are at different times in their lives.
I still identify as a southern baptist and my beliefs remain basically the same; I am just tired of the church atmosphere. Doesn't mean my faith or beliefs are less.
Church nowadays seems more directed toward young families or teens. As a retired single female I really prefer bible studies and devotionals which I can do just as well on line or with a few others in our homes. It is about the learning and study of the Word more than group worship.
So maybe that is why the numbers are down too. We boomers are doing home study.
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