Autopsy of a Deceased Church

Chapter 13

My Church Is Very Sick: Four Responses

Frank was a member of the first church I served as pastor. I never knew him, but I heard his story several times.

The church was very small and very rural. Everyone in the church knew everyone who had ever attended the church.

Frank, I was told, began to develop symptoms of his sickness several years before his death. He was occasionally exhorted to go to the doctor, but he refused. Perhaps his rugged and independent ways could explain his behavior. I often wondered to myself if the poverty in the rural community kept people from seeking medical help.

Whatever the reasons, Frank got sicker and still refused help. His condition deteriorated for over two years before he sought medical attention. And he only sought help because the illness was so severe that he could not work. Frank had to get back to work on his small farm.

After about two days of tests, he and his wife got the grim results. He had developed an illness that, when caught in time, can easily be treated. Indeed, some patients had the disease for a year before they sought treatment, and they are fine today.

But Frank waited over two years. He waited until he was very sick. He would be declared terminal a year later.

Then he died.

So many times his grieving widow would tell me that he would be alive today if he had just seen a doctor earlier. I felt her grief. I felt her guilt.

Churches That Get Very Sick

Rarely does a church move from the category of “symptoms of sickness” to “very sick” overnight. It’s more of a continuum. That is why it’s so hard to detect and to respond if you’re close to the church. From one day to the next, nothing seems to change. But there is an underlying deterioration taking place. Without intervention, the situation only gets worse.

There is no clearly defining moment when we can declare a church has moved into the “very sick” category. The church is more like Frank, where the conditions worsen gradually but progressively over time.

And if the church waits until it’s very sick, it is extremely difficult to get better.

We estimate that, like the churches with symptoms of sickness, very sick churches comprise 40 percent of the number of American congregations. As a reminder, that is over 150,000 churches.

So what are some of the indicators that a church is very sick? Again, terminology and definitions are imprecise, but here are some of the more notable signs:

Significant numerical decline over the past ten to twenty years. Most of the time we measure worship attendance for this metric.
Prolonged times of apathy. Occasional times of intense conflict. The church seems more apathetic than anything else, but conflict can arise with surprising intensity.
The church is not known in the community. Ask a clerk at a store in the community. You may be surprised how few even know the church exists.
New members are rare. The exodus clearly exceeds the inflow.
Revolving door of pastors. Frustration and conflict limit the years of pastoral tenure.
The “good old days” are typically twenty or more years in the past. There has been a long season since anyone felt really good about the church.

Very sick churches do not have to manifest all of these symptoms, but they typically have at least three of them.

The challenge with the very sick churches is like the challenge presented with Frank. Once they move to this stage, reversal of the deterioration is incredibly difficult. Had the members recognized the problems earlier, help is more likely to be beneficial.

Sadly it’s rare to see a church that is very sick reverse its course. Over time, the churches move to the terminal stage and eventually die. To be sure, that time frame can be very long. Churches as institutions fight tenaciously before closing the doors. But the reality of it is that many of the churches have ceased to be the church even though they appear open for service.

Four Responses

I love to be a dispenser of hope. But I refuse to be a dispenser of false hope. The current reality is that most of the churches in this category are headed for dying and death. Again, the process may be long, but it seems so inevitable for many.

Where is the hope in God? Do I not believe He can perform the miracles necessary to reverse the courses of these churches?

Of course I do. But in Scripture, God usually works with a willing people, at least a willing leader. When He delivered the Jews from the bondage of Egypt, He had a leader named Moses. That leader was initially reluctant, but eventually he obeyed and the people followed.

The rebuilding of Jerusalem was not easy after the exile, but God used Nehemiah to lead in the rebuilding of the wall around the city. He used Haggai to lead in the rebuilding of the temple.

Yes, reversal is possible, but God usually waits for a willing leader who will find willing people.

What are, then, some responses church leaders and members can have in their church if it is very sick? Again, I offer four broad categories.

The church must admit and confess its dire need. Most churches move toward death because they refuse to acknowledge their condition. Sometimes a single leader will be used of God to move the church in this positive direction.
The church must pray for wisdom and strength to do whatever is necessary. The change will not be easy.
The church must be willing to change radically. Frankly, this is usually the point of greatest resistance. The church has to change decades of cumulative problem behaviors in a very short time.
That change must lead to action and an outward focus. When a church begins to act positively with this radical change, it has essentially become a new church.

Can the reversal take place? It is highly unlikely. But it is not hopeless. Our hope is built upon the words of Jesus after He confronted the rich young man who wanted to enter the Kingdom of God:

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26)

Prayer Commitment 13

I believe all things are possible through You, God. Show me what I need to do to lead my church from hopeless to hope. And give me the courage and strength to make those changes, even those changes that will be very painful.

Questions for Prayerful Thought

1. What are the symptoms of a very sick church? Does your church have any of these symptoms?

2. Read Haggai 1. How does the story of the rebuilding of the temple relate to reversing the course of a very sick church?

3. Where does a very sick church begin if its members and leaders truly desire reversal? What sacrifices must be made? What comforts must be given up?