Hard Lessons From The Dechurched
Matt Rice and I recently concluded our third season of Ministry Today, a podcast focused on assisting local churches, church leaders, and Christians in various areas of ministry. The twelve-episode season explored the research, insight, and conclusions of The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take To Bring Them Back? The authors indicate that the American Church has gone through the greatest religious shift in history (Davis, Graham, & Burge 2023, 5). This shift has seen more people leave the American Church in the last 20 years than all those saved through the First and Second Great Awakenings and the Billy Graham Crusades combined. The dechurched are those who once attended church at least once a month and now attend church services a couple of times a year or less. Why did they leave? What will bring them back?
Why did they leave?
Although each subgroup has unique circumstances, each subgroup has reasons that are common to others. Those subgroups include:
Cultural Christians who show very little evidence of being actual believers based on their orthodoxy score are politically center-left and a low morality score (meaning morals were more malleable and less concrete). (Davis, Graham, & Burge 2023, 43-47)
Dechurched Mainstream Evangelicals (DMEs) have a higher orthodoxy score, a high view of evangelicals and are interested in returning to church. (Davis, Graham, & Burge 2023, 57-63)
Exvangelicals largely dechurched 20 years ago, 65% are female, highly orthodox, and left the church due to one or many traumatic experiences in the church. (Davis, Graham, & Burge 2023, 69-71)
Dechurched BIPOC are the most educated compared to other subgroups, they are upwardly mobile, non-whites who attended a mostly white evangelical church at some point. (Davis, Graham, & Burge 2023, 84)
Dechurch Mainline Protestants and Catholics have a low orthodoxy score and view of Scripture. 68% of Dechurched Mainline Protestants are women, while 48% of Dechurched Roman Catholics are women. (Davis, Graham, & Burge 2023, 104-107)
1. People dechurched because of strong political emphases in their churches
This isn’t to say that a dechurched person left simply because most of their church differed politically. According to the research, many people dechurched when politics became the focus of the church instead of the Gospel. People left mainline churches, which are often liberal politically, and for the same reason, others left evangelical churches, which are often more conservative politically.
2. People dechurched because their parents wouldn’t engage charitably with other perspectives.
Close-mindedness can sometimes be a virtue in some circles. Many left their church after High School or College because their parents were unwilling to consider different perspectives or engage charitably. Instead of listening to understand, dechurched found their parents listened only to argue.
3. People dechurched because their church wasn’t involved in the community.
This is one of the most frustrating reasons people leave the church; it hits home for me. Christians should serve their communities spiritually and physically. Dechurched folks left because they found their church wasn’t applying Jesus’ teachings, so they joined others in their efforts while leaving the church. In some ways, these people left their local church to join non-Christians to do very Christian things.
4. People dechurched because they didn’t fit in.
In a recent conversation with an MTI student, they pointed out their desire to bring people to church who wouldn’t fit in and make people uncomfortable–not for the sake of making people uncomfortable but he has the desire to reach people with the Gospel who do no look or act like his congregation. Many evangelical churches are not comfortable accepting people into their congregation who look, speak, and dress differently than them.
5. People dechurched because they were hurt by a pastor, church leader, or church member.
It’s not a single act of depravity that sees people leave the church. Not taking sin seriously enough to care for those hurt is what sees people leave. If someone is assaulted then you should report it to police. If a pastor or church leader assaults a church member, then they should also be relieved of their duties immediately.
What can we do better?
1. Embody the mission
Consider how you are serving your local community. Are you making your town or neighborhood a better place as a Christ-follower? If you are to be the salt of the earth, are you making your community more flavorful? Who can you serve?
2. Healthier information diets
If all you eat is junk food, you are susceptible to illnesses. The same goes for your information diet. Social media, cable news, and more are shaping and molding us. Consider what is shaping you. Is it causing you to be more or less Christlike? Forces outside of ourselves powerfully influence us without our realizing it.
3. Live as an exile.
It is no surprise that our nation is not our home (Heb. 13:14). It is also of no surprise when I tell you that our nation is not morally, ethically, or spiritually reflective of our true home, the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, we should embrace our exile status as sojourners called to make our current physical home more reflective of our heavenly home. Living as exiles requires that we rely on one another and God while serving our neighbors.
4. Be authentic, transparent, humble, and hospitable.
Authenticity and transparency are essential attributes that have become increasingly important to younger generations. At one time, we valued pastors who seemingly did nothing wrong. A critical aspect of humility and hospitality is that we are authentic and transparent with others. We can simultaneously recognize our faults while sharing the perfect God who redeems us. People do not expect us to have everything figured out. They don’t have everything figured out, either!
