The decline of mid-sized/large churches in the Chicago Suburbs (Aurora: 2015, home)

[Reformed22]

I want to ask this because I was wondering if other people have felt the same way or have observed this. This is mostly for people who attend church, but if you know anything about this, feel free to chime in.

I feel like there has been a fair amount of suburban churches that were once mid-sized to large (600-1500 weekly attendance) and have since declined and are now much smaller. Increasingly, it seems like suburban churches are either small (600 or less) or megachurches (2,000+), with not a lot in between. I live in the West Suburbs (Geneva, Batavia, St. Charles, Elgin, Aurora, etc) and I have observed this in several cases.

For example, I used to attend Fox Valley Bible Church on Randall Road in St. Charles (now known as New Covenant Bible Church). In the late 1990's/early 2000's, we had a peak attendance of over 1,000 people between three worship services. We were planning on building a larger church facility at corner of Randall and Red Gate Road due to being overcrowded. However, various issues in the church arose, and we suffered a mass decline in attendance over the course of the mid to late 2000's which negated the need to build. It since merged with another congregation to form New Covenant Bible, but it is nowhere near as big as it was a decade and a half ago.

Another example I know of is First Baptist Church of Elgin. I don't know anyone who attends this church, but according to a Daily Herald article regarding their 175th anniversary a few years ago, they had a peak attendance over around 1,000 people in the 1990's. They purchased a 50 acre site on Nesler Road west of town to build a larger facility, but they have since declined in attendance and have only around 400 people today (this is all according the Daily Herald article).

I know of several Lutheran churches that declined over the ELCA controversies a few years back, and I know of a few other non-denominational churches that were once bigger and are now much smaller, but I don't know the details as to why they declined.

Where I'm from, it seems like these days church goers either go to a really specific small denominational church, or a big megachurch like Harvest Bible Chapel, Willow Creek Community Church, Christ Community Church, etc.

My question is two-fold. Has anyone else noticed this trend and if so, do you have any examples? It doesn't matter what denomination it is and you don't need to give details or name the church if you don't want to, I am just curious.

[adele115]

Church attendance has been in decline across all mainline denominations the past two decades, except for the United Church of Christ which has been increasing in membership more recently (don't know exact dates, but heard this from a UCC Mdiv.) The other exception, which you mention, is the mega churches which have rock bands, light shows and premium coffees.

[Reformed22]

Originally Posted by adele115

Church attendance has been in decline across all mainline denominations the past two decades, except for the United Church of Christ which has been increasing in membership more recently (don't know exact dates, but heard this from a UCC Mdiv.) The other exception, which you mention, is the mega churches which have rock bands, light shows and premium coffees.

Very true. I just feel a lot of churches in the Chicago suburbs used to be bigger and have since declined.

[Antonio Montana]

Mainline churches have been in decline for years, but the attendance at evangelical churches has also fallen. Organized religion in general is in decline in the USA. I'm not saying everyone is becoming an atheist. Heck, not everyone is even leaving Christianity. I think many people are realizing that they don't have to participate in organized religion in order to get their spiritual needs met.

[Fighting Fungus]

Originally Posted by Antonio Montana

Mainline churches have been in decline for years, but the attendance at evangelical churches has also fallen. Organized religion in general is in decline in the USA. I'm not saying everyone is becoming an atheist. Heck, not everyone is even leaving Christianity. I think many people are realizing that they don't have to participate in organized religion in order to get their spiritual needs met.

This, predict in 30 years over 70% of the country will be Athiest/Agnostic. The decline will continue

[adele115]

Originally Posted by Fighting Fungus

This, predict in 30 years over 70% of the country will be Athiest/Agnostic. The decline will continue

I disagree with this. I'm too lazy to look up statistics about this, but anecdotally I don't think drop in church attendance is positively correlated with decrease in religious / spiritual belief resulting in 70% of the population being atheist / agnostic. I think if one were to research this (and someone probably is or has done so) one would find that people are engaging their religious and spiritual selves through different mediums, such as online communities (check out Richard Rohr), "meet ups", book clubs, seminars, etc.

I don't think the anecdotal evidence points to such a significant loss (70%) in spiritual interests and beliefs; I think there is evidence that the ways people engage this aspect of themselves is shifting from traditional organized religion to these other "communities".

Also, if "atheistic/agnostic" means rejecting the punitive father/god warden in the sky who sends you to hell for not believing certain facts, then that is a step in the right direction as that is not true religion but a projection of one's own superego.

[twodoor2]

There's probably a lot of factors at play.
1) economic reasons: when the economy is poor, then people have less money to put in that basket, or donate, and they opt to be spiritual at home instead.

2) Atheism/agnostic beliefs are rising in the United States, but I don't think the country will be 70% atheist any time soom, especially the Bible Belt.

3) There are more churches than ever, so attendance is down at larger ones because there's too many churches to go around, especially those large evangelical ones in the Northwest burbs.

I'm moving to Northbrook, and I've never seen so many churches of various Protestant denominations, Catholic ones, and synagogues in one place, let alone a mosque. If only the Middle East would get along so well. It's a very diverse religious place. You have to wonder if religious belief is centered around various towns as well.

Jewish Congregation `At Home' In Mosque - tribunedigital-chicagotribune

[Reformed22]

Originally Posted by twodoor2

There's probably a lot of factors at play.
1) economic reasons: when the economy is poor, then people have less money to put in that basket, or donate, and they opt to be spiritual at home instead.

2) Atheism/agnostic beliefs are rising in the United States, but I don't think the country will be 70% atheist any time soom, especially the Bible Belt.

3) There are more churches than ever, so attendance is down at larger ones because there's too many churches to go around, especially those large evangelical ones in the Northwest burbs.

I'm moving to Northbrook, and I've never seen so many churches of various Protestant denominations, Catholic ones, and synagogues in one place, let alone a mosque. If only the Middle East would get along so well. It's a very diverse religious place. You have to wonder if religious belief is centered around various towns as well.

[url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-12-01/news/9512010181_1_bosnian-refugees-rosh-hashanah-mosque]Jewish Congregation `At Home' In Mosque - tribunedigital-chicagotribune[/url]

Good points. The point I was trying to make is, I am not seeing a decline in churches overall, I am seeing a decline in mid-sized/large (600-1500 weekly attendance) churches. It seems like as recently as the late 1990's/early 2000's, there were a fair amount of Christian churches in the suburbs that fell in that mid-sized/large category and have since declined due to various issues. In the case of Fox Valley Bible Church, which I stated before, the decline was not due to economic factors, but there was a major doctrine dispute that caused most of the congregation to leave. In my experience, it seems like that's why most non-denominational churches decline, but I could be wrong.

Megachurches like Harvest Bible Chapel, Willow Creek and even the local First Baptist Church in Geneva, IL seem to be still growing, and I am still seeing a fair amount of new churches forming. I don't know, it seems like a lot of people I talk to (that attend church) either now go to a small church or a megachurch, not a lot in between.

And yes, I agree with the notion that we are/will be seeing a decline in church attendance overall, as well as a rise in non-traditional religions/groups.