Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 14
February 28, 1963
NUMBER 42, PAGE 4,13b

Those Declining Figures

Editorial

We are talking about the relative decline in church membership in the United States in proportion to the population. For many, many years the percentage of Americans claiming church membership has been slowly growing. Religious leaders were wont to "point with pride" to the fact that relatively (and actually) more and more Americans were committing themselves to an open and positive alignment with the forces of religion. While there were certain vague inward misgiving as to the depth of their commitment, and the relevance of their profession to their daily lives and habits, nevertheless it was comforting somehow to feel that America was truly "on the march" for God and heaven.

And Now Comes The Rude Awakening!

For while more Americans than ever before in history now claim identity with some sort of church, the religious community was shocked recently when it was revealed that the tide has turned, and that population increases have begun to move out ahead of church membership increases. Church membership growth is not keeping pace with population growth. The percentage is declining unfavorably, so that, unless the trend be reversed, there will come a time when less than one-half the American people will be members of any kind of church or synagogue. (The present figure is 63.4 per cent of the total population; a year earlier the ratio had been 63.6 per cent.)

But it is not all hand-wringing. Amid the general chorus of alarms and distress there can be heard an appreciable number who say that this decline Is a good thing! Church membership may be smaller; but they will undoubtedly be sounder and stronger spiritually. All of us who have spent any time in holding meetings (and where is the gospel preacher who doesn't enjoy them?) have long since recognized that in any such effort, the smaller the crowd, generally speaking, the "better" the audience. That is, on a cold or stormy night, or on "football nights," the general attendance usually falls off — but those who do come are the ones who are most interested, most concerned, and most consecrated. As the quantity of the hearers decline, the quality correspondingly grows higher and better.

And there is evidently the same kind of thing in this matter of declining church rolls. The "weeding out" process will eliminate the careless and indifferent, the one who takes his religion lightly. He "joined" easily under the excitement of a high pressure promotion, or during the stress and danger of war and threat of war, and he "quits" with the same nonchalance. Other interests and other diversions claim his time and thought and money. All of which is to the good for those who are concerned for the future of God's kingdom on earth. For there can be little question that the worldly-minded element, these last few years, have brought wreck and ruin to many a previously faithful congregation of saints. Largely uninformed and unconcerned about Bible teaching or spiritual values, they have sought to turn God's church into high class community centers and social and recreational institutions. It has become the case in many communities that the "fellowship hall' (meaning a kitchen and banqueting room when we refer to the churches of Christ) comes first in church planning. The true mission of the church is obscured and beclouded by a great emphasis of these things which are clearly on the fringe or periphery of the church life, even if they have any place at all in her activities.

We think all of us will likely agree that the "prayer meeting crowd" will be the last to show any diminution in attendance. It has long been said that "The popularity of the preacher can be measured by the Sunday morning attendance; the popularity of the congregation can be measured by the Sunday night attendance; and the popularity of the Lord can be measured by the Wednesday night attendance." All of which adds up to the observation that as the worldly-minded and indifferent gradually move away from church membership, it may be a healthy and desirable experience for the churches! Being no longer able to take pride in our "growing numbers," our great crowds, our large and vigorous institutions, our "on the march" congregations, perhaps sincere followers of the Nazarene can come to grips with some of the terrible and frightening problems which confront us all — the problem of sin and its fearful consequences, or a world confronted with the challenge of an amoral and atheistic interpretation of human existence.

It is time for those who care to do something about the whole problem. We can never begin to meet the needs of our generation until each individual Christian is willing to start with himself, to look into his own heart, make a new appraisal of his own life, conduct, attitudes, and disposition. In other words, if we are to help others, we must begin first with self. If God is to use us in reaching the lost, the indifferent, the ignorant, we must see to it that our lives are indeed "channels of blessings," cleansed from selfishness, pride, and earthly ambitions, and set wholly and only on faithful service to God. If we can build congregations which are "converted to Christ," then we need feel little concern about any "leakage" from church rolls. For it can be said of them as John said of certain ones, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us." (1 John 2:19) The true church suffers no real loss by the defection of any unconverted. Indeed, she never "had" them in the first place. It is her duty now to try to convert (not reclaim) those who simply attached themselves to her without being converted to Christ. To that task let every true disciple address himself with resolution and humble devotion to Christ.

— F. Y. T.