The Old-Fashioned, Bible-Saturated Way of Doing Church

It is rare that I quote extensively from other sources in my writing, teaching and preaching. This post will be an extended exception to this general rule. An article came across my desk written by Pastor Gregory Barkman of the Beacon Baptist Church in Burlington, North Carolina. I e-mailed him and received permission to present this article. Please read it carefully and thoughtfully.

"It's finally happening. Church attendance in America, as a percentage of the population, has declined significantly, according to recent polls. That has been the case in Europe for decades, but America remained resilient to this disturbing trend in Western civilization. The United States, it seemed, was still a religious and mostly 'Christian' nation, but now the situation points in a different direction. Liberal, mainline denominations have been in decline for years, but Evangelical churches have enjoyed uninterrupted growth for decades, evoking self-congratulations for being alert to people's 'felt-needs' and being successful in molding and shaping 'church' to appeal to an ever larger segment of America's population. Now, 'success' formulas seem to be less effective, and although there are high profile ministries that are still growing, the general trend manifests decline. All this in spite of the huge emphasis upon 'church growth' techniques and new churches, each committed to pursuing a slightly different success formula, springing up on every corner. What's wrong?

"The current decline follows several decades of rapid change in the way most Evangelicals 'do church.' Apparently, the seeker-friendly, market-driven philosophies produced short-term gain, but long-term loss. Treating church like a product to be 'sold' to consumers has encouraged a shift in the way people view their relationship with churches. More often than not, there is no more commitment to church than there is to a particular grocery store or restaurant. People 'shop' for the church that offers them the biggest return on their investment, and consumer Christians search for the best bargains. In consumer goods, the best bargain is the one that gives you the most product for your money, and in churches, the best bargain is the one that offers you the best experience at the least cost. Cost in church relationships usually boils down to how much is expected in return for your participation. In the market-driven philosophy, virtually no commitment is required, because expectations of commitment might cause some to stay away. After all, there's always another church that offers a similar product with no demands, so why pay a higher price for the services this church offers?

"This consumer attitude is seen in the way many Christians regularly hop from church to church, seldom settling down, and frequently moving to sample what different churches have to offer. Have you noticed that when a new, highly advertised restaurant comes to town, many can't wait to be the first one to try it? Have you noticed how similar that is to a new church, sometimes even franchised from a 'successful' ministry elsewhere in the country, and how many Christians rush to try out this new experience. Not many would equate their actions with a consumer mentality, but that's what it is. Sadly, that's exactly what the church-growth, market-driven philosophy has encouraged. When the Bible says we reap what we sow, it isn't kidding!

A serious approach to doctrine in another casualty to modern trends. Formerly, churches were intent in teaching people Bible doctrine, the more the better. Churches used to believe that their main responsibility was to produce a congregation of knowledgeable, well-taught believers. Not any more. Now, people can attend church for years, and still know next to nothing about the Bible. Recent polls have documented the astonishing ignorance of Evangelical Christians regarding the simplest doctrines, including the Gospel itself. The majority of modern Christians cannot even give a coherent answer to the question, 'What is the Gospel?' This has also been demonstrated in the way people move from church to church, often running the gamut theologically from one extreme to another, seeming to recognize no difference in teaching. Of course, if the church is doing little teaching, there won't be much difference to recognize, will there? Even where some level of doctrine is taught, many Christians apparently pass it off as of little importance. What's really important, it seems, is not what is taught, but how much do I enjoy the experience? Christianity in many cases, is no longer a system of doctrine to be believed, but an experience to be, well, experienced, and a warm, positive feeling to be shared. Has it come to that? So it would appear.

"It's no wonder then, after several decades of churches themselves encouraging people to develop no commitment to Bible doctrine, nor to any particular local congregation, that now, 'Christians' have decided that they really don't need church after all. If I can get my 'needs' met some other way, why attend church? If learning the Bible, and deepening my understanding of sound doctrine is not important, why attend church? If I can enjoy a satisfactory religious experience watching TV, or plugging into the internet, or in some other way, why not choose that option?

"Maybe the old-fashioned, Bible saturated way of 'doing church' wasn't such a bad idea after all. I wonder if it's too late?"

That is an insightful analysis to which I say, "AMEN!"