Five Major Reasons for Church Decline

 According to the General Social Survey, the proportion of Christians and Catholics in the U.S. population decreased from 86% in the 1970s to 63% in 2018. Concurrently, the percentage of religiously unaffiliated individuals rose from 5% in 1970 to 23% in 2018.

A Pew Research survey published in September 2020 revealed that an increasing number of young people are leaving the church and losing their religious faith.

Post-pandemic, churches have generally experienced a decline in attendance. The reasons can be summarized as follows:

1. Lack of Outstanding Leaders

Modern individuals are increasingly educated, thoughtful, and knowledgeable, leading to higher expectations for leaders. They often admire political, business, and media leaders who are eloquent, bold, and visionary. When they apply these standards to Christian leaders, they find them lacking. They may not realize that societal standards shouldn't be directly applied to the church. However, the church must also reflect: beyond the previous generation's Billy Graham, how many outstanding religious leaders have made significant societal contributions? Even when contributions exist, how can we ensure society is more aware of them?

For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Francis Collins, a Christian and the director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, played a pivotal role in developing effective vaccines. Yet, how much recognition did he receive from the church? How much positive publicity was there in society? Consequently, church leaders often lack influence outside their circles, and their voices go unheard, leading to Christianity's marginalization.

More concerning is that some Catholic and Christian leaders have been involved in sexual scandals, which the media has sensationalized. Church management often avoids addressing these issues, failing to implement damage control strategies to restore public trust. This lack of proactive public relations has significantly tarnished the church's image.

Chinese churches often operate independently, with competition and suspicion among them, rarely collaborating on significant societal contributions. This isolation leads to a lack of societal recognition and trust in the church's message.

In contrast, political and entertainment industries invest resources to promote leaders and celebrities to influence the masses. Churches, however, often neglect public relations, failing to introduce outstanding leaders to society, viewing such methods as secular. As a result, the church's light remains hidden, and its influence diminishes.

2. Passive Evangelism

Modern society is highly competitive. In business, survival requires not only excellent products but also effective marketing. Churches, however, often adopt a passive approach, waiting for people to come to them without marketing budgets or understanding societal dynamics and people's needs. Consequently, many are unaware of the church's activities and prefer leisure over attending services.

The church's main competitor is the devil, who employs temptations similar to those used against Jesus: physical desires, material wealth, and pride. Society and businesses are filled with such temptations, effectively marketed to ensnare people. Media, education, and government are often under the influence of evil, leading to widespread issues like mental health problems, gender confusion, and crime. As people's hearts become more corrupt, fewer attend church.

Church leaders must strategize to combat these spiritual battles. However, in my experience serving on church leadership teams, discussions rarely focus on strategies to overcome spiritual warfare or address societal issues. Suggestions to resist external evils often face resistance or indifference. Many laypeople express dissatisfaction with church leaders' detachment from societal concerns.

3. Irrelevant Teachings

Imagine an average person stepping into a church and hearing ancient Bible stories about an unseen and unheard God. Would they believe? Would they return the following week? Having been taught evolution and atheism in school and exposed to church scandals in the media, they harbor doubts and resentment. Yet, the church often fails to address these issues, merely preaching salvation through Jesus, which may not resonate with them.

Modern believers face numerous challenges: mental stress, relationship issues, parenting struggles, career dilemmas, and financial problems. However, church teachings often focus solely on faith and evangelism, disconnected from their daily lives. Their problems go unaddressed, and additional church activities add to their stress, leading them to leave for a more relaxed life.

In a technologically advanced society, people are accustomed to scientific explanations. Evolution is widely accepted, and newcomers to the church may seek evidence against it. Unfortunately, most churches lack robust explanations supporting creationism. Seminaries often don't offer scientific apologetics courses, leaving pastors ill-equipped to address these concerns. Consequently, intellectuals find the church lacking in scientific knowledge and persuasive power.

In my 40 years as a believer, I've rarely encountered pastors who can scientifically refute evolution. I had to study extensively and learn from Christian scientists to grasp the key knowledge. When I taught "Scientific Apologetics" in Sunday school, many students attended, confirming that this is a topic many Christians wish to understand.

4. Gender Imbalance

Women generally value emotions and harmonious relationships, making them more receptive to faith. Men, however, often require scientific, intellectual, and logical reasons to believe in an all-powerful God. They may feel strong and capable, resisting submission to a higher power. Therefore, if the church doesn't adapt its evangelism methods to reach men, naturally, more women than men become Christians.

To persuade men to embrace Christianity, the church must be well-prepared in apologetics, offering satisfactory explanations both theologically and scientifically.

5. Neglect of Youth

Barna Research's book "You Lost Me" indicates that two-thirds of young people leave the church, primarily due to three reasons: disbelief in God and belief in evolution, rendering the church unscientific and outdated; the church's irrelevance in addressing their immediate issues, especially concerning sexuality; and disappointment with the church's perceived hypocrisy, pride, and narrow-mindedness.

Internet pornography has ensnared many youths and adult men, leading them into addiction and sin, explaining the shortage of men across age groups in the church. Besides pornography, addiction to online gaming also devastates young people. While academia and medicine offer various research and treatment plans, Chinese churches often avoid these issues, reflecting their impracticality and evasion of real problems.

To reverse the church's decline, leaders must first humble themselves and acknowledge the need for improvement in these areas. This task isn't for one person or church alone; it requires collective leadership, persistent prayer, strategic planning, goal setting, and teamwork. Seminaries must also enhance their curricula to suit modern community churches, training both new and seasoned pastors to revive Christianity and glorify God's name.

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