As church leaders, we don’t always want to face the fact that our ministry is declining. It is almost too much for a conscientious leader to bear. Sometimes, instead of facing facts, we grasp plausible excuses that do little to address the real problems. In my previous article, I described five of the ten forms of denial spiritual leaders employ while their church is on a downward trend. In this article, I fill out the remaining five lies spiritual leaders tell themselves when their church is in decline.
- “Overlooking church discipline issues demonstrates empathy, not cowardice.” I don’t know how to explain why some churches don’t do church discipline other than because of an overdeveloped sense of empathy, or, more likely, cowardice. In either case, it constitutes disobedience to the Scriptures (Matt. 18). A lack of church discipline, when it is needed, leads to an unhealthy church body, just as we see in the human body, vulnerable to spreading “diseases” of sin. If your ministry is flagging don’t be surprised to find a track record of neglect when it comes to church discipline. Negligence of necessary church discipline leads to God’s discipline of your church (Rev.3:19) and explains its current stagnation.
- “Our church’s large bank balance means our ministry is healthy.” Even if your ministry is in the black, you can still be running a spiritual deficit. The comfort that a wealthy church enjoys can lead to spiritual pride and/or sluggishness. Yes, the programs all run on their predictable schedules, the roof gets repaired, and the parking lot is freshly paved. But Jesus said to the Church at Sardis, “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1), indicating an appearance of strength does not always equate to spiritual health. Such bodies are in danger of going through the motions of ministry without the life blood of Jesus running through them. They don’t “need” Him to function. A ministry like this may be financially secure but is in real danger – and does not know it.
- “We cannot afford to step out/stretch out in faith.” Throughout the Bible, God used financial pain to get His people’s attention about issues hindering their collective walk with Him. God says, “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people . . .” (2 Chron. 7:13), indicating there is a Divine purpose behind all such events if His people have eyes to see it. In an agrarian economy, such things mean financial weakness! But they are designed to drive His people to “humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways” (2 Chron. 7:14). If you are not seeing God provide for your ministry, consider seeking His face about anything that may be blocking His blessing.
- “There is something wrong with young people today – that’s why we don’t have any.” A church that loses its young people loses its future. In many cases, they leave the church because of what they have witnessed in the church. Sometimes they feel they have no voice and/or that no one sees their value. Has your church given them cause for leaving? I’m not talking about music style or not having smoke machines. I mean, did they witness adult behavior that caused them to cast doubt on their faith, things like unjust criticism of pastoral staff, splits, political machinations or manipulations? If so, there may be things in your church’s past of which it needs to repent. Then, perhaps, Jesus will trust your ministry with a new generation of younger believers and call some to ministry.
- “Don’t fixate on our current condition. Remember the “Glory days!” No ministry wants to be a shadow of a bygone era, do they? Yet many are! There is an element of denial, and people take comfort in what a church once was instead of actively seeking what God wants to do next. Across the landscape of our country, there are many glorious church buildings that house minuscule ministries. They are usually sustained by the financial bequests of saints departed long ago. But their glory has long departed too and those with spiritually sensitive eyes see “Ichabod” written above the church signage. Please don’t let it happen to your church! Something has short-circuited your ministry’s “glory.” Look into your history to see what that might be and repent and return humbly and whole-heartedly to the Lord of your church.
If you’re not sure about the true health of your church, a book like Diagnosing the Heart of Your Church can help. Visit our website and get our free church healing starter kit. If nothing else, it will alert you to the kind of unseen problems that may lay behind your churches decline.
Mark Barnard serves with Blessing Point Ministries. Blessing Point works to heal churches with painful histories and restore the radiance of Christ’s Bride.