I’m sure you can imagine that church staffers have a general idea of what kind of crowd to anticipate on any given Sunday. Factors like civic holidays and weather have a way of establishing predictable patterns in large groups of people. But those arrangements have experienced a bit of a shakeup, especially over the past five or so years. Historically Mothers’ Day would see a bump in worship attendance, as diligent children and husbands honor the wishes of their pious matriarchs. This year? I really don’t know if that’s a thing we can count on anymore. And I don’t think COVID is to blame – it only accelerated something that’s been going on for about 30 years now.
Yesterday I listened to a podcast entitled “Who Are the De-churched in America and Why Did They Leave?” The sociologists leading the discussion begin with a startling piece of data: thirty to fifty million Americans used to go to church but no longer do. Meaning, we are in the middle of the greatest religious affiliation shift in US history. The largest subgroups of those leaving the church over the past 25 or so years are: 1.) Nominal Evangelicals (attendance was cultural, not devotional) 2.) Dislocated Evangelicals (COVID/politics) 3.) Exvangelicals (harmed by institutions) 4.) BIPOC Evangelicals (successful minorities) 5.) Mainliners (found it didn’t make a difference) 6.) Catholic (similar to Mainline, + clergy scandals).
And now, a shift that began in the 90’s in urban centers has finally overwhelmed our own bastion of cultural Christianity, the suburbs. If you know your neighbors, keep up with former classmates or extended family, you know folks who fit into some of the above categories. Maybe you’re even friendly, but the moment anything spiritual or church-related comes up, you have to tiptoe around the awkwardness. As people who grew up in a world where some kind of Christianity was the default worldview, it’s disorienting to suddenly find ourselves becoming a minority. Conversations take on a different tone. Our children ask very different questions than we did. O, brave new world with such creatures in it! How do we prepare to give an answer for the hope that is within us? Do we even experience that hope?
As we start to wrap up this Heaven Is Local series, we’re going to see Paul giving his last great defense in the book of Acts. It’s addressed to a man who is the symbolic figurehead of a defunct people of God: someone who should know but doesn’t. The way Paul postures himself is a masterclass in sharing the truth in love to a post-religious person. I hope you’ll join us!
- js