Why Churches Die

One of the saddest facts of the Christian life is that churches can grow old, just like people! Every one of us has visited ministries that have seen better days; days when the worship was vibrant, the teaching was inspired, souls got saved, and the saved grew bold in their faith.

But over time the worship became predictable, the teaching formal, new converts were rare, and a general lethargy seemed to overtake the saints. On the surface things look the same. But there is no longer a sense of God’s power & presence! Something is missing. It’s as if the former “glory had departed.” (1Samuel 4:21)

Why does this happen? Those who study of such things tell us that churches, like people, have natural life-cycles; from birth to death. They have identified four phases that we might refer to them as Movement, Ministry, Machinery, & Mausoleum.

Movement

Every true work of God begins as a movement of the Spirit. We often call this a revival; but it is more accurate to describe it as an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is almost like a wave that picks up everything and everyone in its path and carries them along. No one individual can be credited with what happens. God is moving powerfully, spontaneously, simultaneously and wonderfully. On the surface it may look like confusion. Yet, there is an orderliness: Souls are saved, lives are changed, miracles happen, love overflows, and joy erupts into worship. God is moving sovereignly in and through a group of people who are wholly surrendered to His will.

Those of us who have been part of such outpourings look back upon those days as being the most wonderful of our lives. We yearn to return to that experience, when it felt like heaven had captured earth and everything in it; and the glory of the Lord was clearly manifest everywhere.

Ministry

I believe it is possible for a revival to last forever. But they rarely do. At some point there arises a need to organize what God has begun to do. So we begin to pick and assign leaders; we choose a name; we draw up charters and by-laws; buildings are purchased, staff is hired. Almost overnight, the movement has matured into a ministry

Now I have nothing against ministries. Nor do I object to the organizing that goes with it; as long as the ministry continues to minister. And many do for many years. But as one close friend of mine reminded me, “We are prisoners of history;” it is only a matter time before the focus of a ministry undergoes a subtle change. Over the years, a ministry gradually shifts from serving, to being served. The ministry no longer exists only to minister; instead the ministry exists also to perpetuate itself. Buildings and staff need budgets. And budgets need accountants. Accountants need computers. And computers need IT. Before long we begin to believe that ministry cannot happen without all these people and all this stuff. The stuff becomes what the ministry is!

You know this has happened when you stop measuring effectiveness by the three criteria Paul gave (faith, hope and love). Instead we begin to measure ministry effectiveness by bucks, buildings and bodies! A good Sunday is no longer one in which the Holy Spirit moved in power and lives were changed; but rather one in which the giving was strong and the attendance was up.

Machinery

It’s at this point that ministry metastasizes into machinery. Operational efficiency becomes as, or more important than spiritual effectiveness. The value of the individual begins to diminish as the “whole” becomes more important than the “parts.” Protecting the institution, its reputation and assets, is more vital than the welfare of individuals. “Sins” are covered up for the sake of the greater good. Humility is replaced by pride. Power becomes more important than prayer. Truth becomes a matter of what your definition of “is” is. Loyalty to God is supplanted by loyalty to the organization.

Mausoleum

In the final days of Judah, Ezekiel saw in a vision of the glory of God leaving the Temple. (Ezekiel 10) So too, only godly men can see the glory lifting off a once great-and-godly ministry. Many of those on the inside cannot. They continue to plug along, supporting and maintaining the institution; an institution that has to be kept on life-support, because the power of God is gone. The structure may continue to stand for decades, even centuries. But it is dead; lifeless. Without continuous infusions of labor and money, it would die and crumble overnight.

Is this inevitable? Is there anything that can be done to keep a ministry vital and vibrant? Yes, I believe there is. I found the answer in something Paul said to the Corinthians: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”(1 Corinthians 3:6)

Without overstating Paul’s remarks, I recognize two things that are true about living things:

1. Living things are designed to grow.

2. When living things stop growing, they start dying.

Whether we are talking about individuals or ministries, the key to vitality is growth. As long was we continue to grow in the Lord, we will continue to be strong in faith. And when we are strong in faith, we remain flexible and available for every new adventure God has for us. Most importantly, our focus is upon the Lord and where He is leading; not upon buildings, budgets & bodies.

Yet, over time, most people get tired of the daily stress and pressure of pursuing God. We prefer to settle in; to create a little piece of heaven here on earth. We desire to live stable, predictable, safe and comfortable lives. We talk about having paid our dues, and now is the time to enjoy the fruits of our labors. We forget, that heaven is the finish line, not happiness here on earth. Before we know it, we begin to stop growing; and we start growing old in our faith, as well as our bodies and minds. We begin to die spiritually. We may continue to go to church, preach our sermons and sing our songs. But like the Church of Sardis, “…you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”

When you read Paul’s letters, it is clear that he committed himself to continuously growing in Christ. He never stopped pressing on to the prize of the high calling. (Philippians 3:14) And he never grew old in his faith. His body grew old, but his faith, life and ministry remained vibrant, vital, powerful and effective to the end.

May we follow his example, both in our own lives, and in our ministries!