Why the Decline in the SBC

[Michael Wrenn]

The problem may be that we have come to see Christianity as something that has to be run by an organizational system. Our work, schools, and government are all run this way. It is easy to see how we have come to expect this is the way to live the Christian life.

Today when we read the New Testament, it is not uncommon to feel a disconnect with those described in the early church. Things like mutual exhortation and encouragement seem alien experiences.

Early Christianity was hijacked. Christianity was declared a complicated system that only the most educated could unravel. The priest system produced rules and rituals for the masses. The reformation did not do much to restore participative or relational Christianity. We got mostly re-branded priests lecturing about arcane and and abstract theology.

The real power of Christianity is seen in transformed lives. This is accomplished and experienced through relationships, ours with Christ and each other. Organizational systems are almost structurally antithetical to relationships. Organizational systems are about control, and subsequently emphasize the external such as works, activities, programs, events, and classes.

In Ephesians we read the the purpose of church leadership is to help us grow into the full image of Christ. By this standard, it is difficult to think of any church that is a "success".

If churches are not producing transformed lives, there seems to be no compelling reason to go to them. Seminaries seem to produce people who can declare finely tuned doctrinal positions, but seem less skilled in showing people how to be like Jesus.

This is one of the best and most accurate posts I've ever seen on here.

 

[Cypress]

This is one of the best and most accurate posts I've ever seen on here.

Michael, I agree. Most Americans are not asking '"what must I do to be saved". They have heard it before. They are asking different questions that many times aren't answered in our churches, and the members are not adept at doing more than parroting pat answers.

 

[Havensdad]

The SBC is not declining. Far from it. Number of churches, giving, and baptisms have increased during this time.

However, let me let you in on some other info... In the last 10 years, there has been an under the radar movement within the Southern Baptist Convention, to be more honest about membership numbers, and to "cleanse the rolls." I have seen churches which have ACTUALLY grown tremendously in the last 5- 10 years, which have "officially" shrank, because they purged their membership rolls of people who left the church 30 years ago, or even died. For too long, the SBC, through laziness, and possibly in the case of some churches, dishonesty, let their membership rolls swell far beyond their actual membership. Thankfully, repentance has come, which is one of the reason for declining numbers.

Also, there may also have been another small dip, due to the SBC getting back on track with the Great Commission. When guys like David Platt stand up and start funneling money away from the church building, out into a lost and dying world, the unregenerate membership gets upset, and often leaves. I saw a church lose a bunch of members over exactly this kind of thing.


So, the SBC is certainly not in decline. They are up and running, and on a better track than they have been on in 100 years. They are adhering to Biblical principles, Christ glorifying, and Gospel focused. I pray that the great spiritual growth the convention has seen in the last 5-10 years continues.

 

[Tom Butler]

The church I serve did that. Over a period of two years, we dropped at least 200 people from our rolls--most of whom we couldn't find.

The fact that our rolls were filled with people like that in the first place is a commentary on how easy it has been to join a Baptist church. But that's another thread.

 

[drfuss]

For our church with over 6000 members/about 1500 members attending, how would you update the membership rolls. I don't think anyone personally knows all of the members or all of the attendees. I have suggested it, but the answer is how would we do it.

Anyone on here have any experience (or suggestions) in updating the membership rolls of a church with over 5000 members on the rolls?

 

[12strings]

For our church with over 6000 members/about 1500 members attending, how would you update the membership rolls. I don't think anyone personally knows all of the members or all of the attendees. I have suggested it, but the answer is how would we do it.

Anyone on here have any experience (or suggestions) in updating the membership rolls of a church with over 5000 members on the rolls?

We have done it in our smaller church pared about 6oo members down to 200 attendees...Mark Dever's church in DC did it with well over 1000 members to remove, i believe. the process would be similar I think...

1. Make sure the leadership is committed to it, and an articulate why its important to the congregation.

2. Look up the church constitution and see if there is a provision for removing members after non-attendance for a year, or something similar...if its already there, you're in luck, and you can simply begin enforcing the existing guidlines.

3. However, you should complile a list of those no one knows, or has seen in years (your large church should probably have a team that is dedicated to this whole research task.) And you should tell your congregation that you want to find these people and attempt to invite them back. (If this is not true, and you simply want to slice them off your roles without efforts at restoration, you should abandon this whole process.) You should solicit the help of well-connected church members who seem to know lots of people in your search.

4. You would find many people who have died or move away to other churches and areas...these should be the first you remove.

5. You will likely find some who have moved to other churches in the same area...these should be next.

6. You may find some who left on bad terms and want nothing to do with your church, and may tell you directly to take them off your membership roll.

7. the last and hardest group will be the non-attenders who consider themselves members in name, and want to keep it that way...you will then have to exercise tough love and inform them that you can only keep members who attend church, and invite them back...this group may also include those who have left because of sin (scandals, adulery, divorce...etc.) who are embarrased to attend, but who have lots of connections within the church who might object to their being excluded.

8. Family and friends of these people will be your biggest opposition.


As you impliment this process, you will have names you still know absolutely nothing about, or can't find, and if your constitution allows it, you may simply remove them for non-attendance.

 

[drfuss]

We have done it in our smaller church pared about 6oo members down to 200 attendees...Mark Dever's church in DC did it with well over 1000 members to remove, i believe. the process would be similar I think...

1. Make sure the leadership is committed to it, and an articulate why its important to the congregation.

2. Look up the church constitution and see if there is a provision for removing members after non-attendance for a year, or something similar...if its already there, you're in luck, and you can simply begin enforcing the existing guidlines.

3. However, you should complile a list of those no one knows, or has seen in years (your large church should probably have a team that is dedicated to this whole research task.) And you should tell your congregation that you want to find these people and attempt to invite them back. (If this is not true, and you simply want to slice them off your roles without efforts at restoration, you should abandon this whole process.) You should solicit the help of well-connected church members who seem to know lots of people in your search.

4. You would find many people who have died or move away to other churches and areas...these should be the first you remove.

5. You will likely find some who have moved to other churches in the same area...these should be next.

6. You may find some who left on bad terms and want nothing to do with your church, and may tell you directly to take them off your membership roll.

7. the last and hardest group will be the non-attenders who consider themselves members in name, and want to keep it that way...you will then have to exercise tough love and inform them that you can only keep members who attend church, and invite them back...this group may also include those who have left because of sin (scandals, adulery, divorce...etc.) who are embarrased to attend, but who have lots of connections within the church who might object to their being excluded.

8. Family and friends of these people will be your biggest opposition.


As you impliment this process, you will have names you still know absolutely nothing about, or can't find, and if your constitution allows it, you may simply remove them for non-attendance.

Thanks for the response.

I already had some feedback on #8, such as: My brother has not been to church for eight years; if he started coming to church again, he would not really feel he belonged if he was not a menber. That would be terrible; aren't you concerned about his soul.

Concerning #1, I don't think a leader would support taking over a church with over 6000 members and have that membership reduced to about 2000 members while he was in the lead.

IMO, Baptists put entirely too much emphasis on membership. In order to increase membership, Baptists tend to baptize new converts and have them join the church much too early. This leads to a large bloated membership which is impossible to update without causing major problems and hard feelings.

I doubt that our membership rolls will ever be updated, so we will continue to report over 4000 more members that we have in attendance.

Baptists should do away with reporting the number on the membership rolls, and only report average monthly attendance. That would be much more open and honest.

 

[Jerome]

Attendance already gets reported to HQ in your Annual Church Profile.

Lifeway: Southern Baptists Decline in Baptisms, Membership, Attendance

"Primary worship attendance in SBC churches mirrored the decline in overall membership, declining 0.19 percent to 6,195,449 in 2010."



And I see in the 2012 SBC Annual that the weekly average slipped 40,000+ more last year.

 

[Iconoclast]

The SBC is not declining. Far from it. Number of churches, giving, and baptisms have increased during this time.

However, let me let you in on some other info... In the last 10 years, there has been an under the radar movement within the Southern Baptist Convention, to be more honest about membership numbers, and to "cleanse the rolls." I have seen churches which have ACTUALLY grown tremendously in the last 5- 10 years, which have "officially" shrank, because they purged their membership rolls of people who left the church 30 years ago, or even died. For too long, the SBC, through laziness, and possibly in the case of some churches, dishonesty, let their membership rolls swell far beyond their actual membership. Thankfully, repentance has come, which is one of the reason for declining numbers.

Also, there may also have been another small dip, due to the SBC getting back on track with the Great Commission. When guys like David Platt stand up and start funneling money away from the church building, out into a lost and dying world, the unregenerate membership gets upset, and often leaves. I saw a church lose a bunch of members over exactly this kind of thing.


So, the SBC is certainly not in decline. They are up and running, and on a better track than they have been on in 100 years. They are adhering to Biblical principles, Christ glorifying, and Gospel focused. I pray that the great spiritual growth the convention has seen in the last 5-10 years continues.

HD
Solid post,,,most churches need to do the first works.

 

[gb93433]

Churches that do not have or do not train male leaders will eventually only have female leaders and then die.

 

[Tom Butler]

Trimming the church roll may be easier than some fear.

We did ours at the monthly business meeting. The church clerk had done his research and simply moved to remove, say eight or ten members. Most of those who show up at business meeting were actively involved in church life. There was never a dissenting vote.

The clerk brought about ten names to each business meeting. The process took about a year. Those who might have raised objections weren't a problem--they rarely if ever showed up for the business sessions--or any Wednesday night, for that matter.

It is true of any organization, church or secular--they are run by the people who show up.

 

[saturneptune]

Trimming the church roll may be easier than some fear.

We did ours at the monthly business meeting. The church clerk had done his research and simply moved to remove, say eight or ten members. Most of those who show up at business meeting were actively involved in church life. There was never a dissenting vote.

The clerk brought about ten names to each business meeting. The process took about a year. Those who might have raised objections weren't a problem--they rarely if ever showed up for the business sessions--or any Wednesday night, for that matter.

It is true of any organization, church or secular--they are run by the people who show up.

Yes, in our case, the situation was handled in a very low keyed manner, and it worked out fine. Letters were sent out prior to removal asking if they wanted to become a part of our local church again. I am not certain all those remaining should be there, but our church roll is reasonably clean. Some of the people we removed had not darkened the door in decades, literally. Personally, I think that all names on church rolls that are not attending should be shut ins, medically unable to attend, college and military, or other valid reason for being away. I do not believe on leaving people on church rolls because they are a relative or friend of an attending member without being in one of the above catagories.

 

[Salty]

Yes, in our case, the situation was handled in a very low keyed manner, and it worked out fine. Letters were sent out prior to removal...

Excellent - there must be a true effort made to restore those who are not active.

asking if they wanted to become a part of our local church again. I am not certain all those remaining should be there, but our church roll is reasonably clean. .

However, I am not in favor of totally dropping membership - I am of the belief that a person should be placed on the inactive list - ie non-voting, ect

...all names on church rolls that are not attending should be shut ins, medically unable to attend, college and military, or other valid reason for being away. .

those who are shut in's, ect should have regular visits by the church staff and members.
However, Military and college students should be joining local churches where they are stationed or attending!
For example if you are stationed (or attending college) in Germany you should join up with a SBC affiliated International Baptist Convention church

I do not believe on leaving people on church rolls because they are a relative or friend of an attending member without being in one of the above catagories.

thats a tough one, because of hurt feelings - not that you shouldn't - but just be prepared.


but most important - we should not allow our resident/active members to get inactive.