Just read a post by Shane Raynor on The Wesley Blog called "New Churches: The Future of the UMC." The focus of the article is on Bishop Willimon's call for increasing funding for new churches by 50% in the North Alabama Conference. Shane is a definite supporter of this call from Bishop Willimon, putting forth the argument that building new churches is comparable to putting new wine in new wineskins. In other words, Shane is arguing that closing old churches and building new churches will leave the baggage of the old behind and create new opportunities for ministry and new excitement in the church because people like new things.
While I admire Bishop Willimon and respect his teachings on a variety of issues, I have in the past noted my disagreement with this direction he is putting forth in the North Alabama Conference and that is becoming a new direction for the UMC as a whole. The North Georgia Conference has been going in this direction for some time, and, apparently, it is working, since they are poised to overtake Virginia as the largest UMC conference in the United States. But, what is really behind the growth?
As we all know, churches can only effect growth in three ways: 1) Professions of Faith; 2) Transfer from Other UMCs; 3) Transfer from Other Denominations. Out of these three, I would argue that true Kingdom growth only comes about through professions of faith. The other two amount merely to sheep rustling, or, as Terry Tekyll puts it, "sheep shifting." So, this begs the question: Where does the growth come from in these new churches? Where do their members come from? Are they merely new corrals for existing sheep or are they being populated with new lambs?
Using the North Georgia Conference as an example: In a recent letter from Bishop Lindsey Davis, North Georgia Conference, he noted that professions of faith were decreasing in the conference, dropping from a high of 8,400 professions of faith in 2003 to 7,820 in 2004 to 6,584 in 2005. Bishop Lindsey noted that in 2005, the conference had a net gain of 4,410 people, which is 1.3% growth overall. However, the recent census showed that Georgia, primarily north Georgia, is growing at a rate of 26%.
These numbers all add up to tell me that our churches -- old or new -- are not doing a good job at bringing people into the kingdom. Also, it demonstrates that the growth in the new church plants is not primarily coming from professions of faith but from the shifting of Christians, either from other UMC congregations or from other denominations. In a growing population of 26%, we should not be happy with only a 1.3% growth in membership. And this is the most rapidly growing UMC annual conference in the U.S.!
My only experience with watching the creation of a new UMC church has been in the Valdosta District of the South Georgia Conference. Several years ago, two small UMC congregations were closed and united as a new congregation, with a shiny new building, new parking lot, and great location for growth. Initially, there was a flurry of activity and an increase in growth, but most of it came through shifting Christians around. Now, several years later, it has dwindled down to a very small congregation, with less than 100 people on the books.
As I see it, this is the fate of most new church plants. The new building and new parking lots create a lot of excitement and interest, lots of people come and some join, but, over time, there is very little true growth for the kingdom. It's like a rollercoaster. Once the thrill and excitement of the new is gone, you get off the ride seeking new thrills. And that is exactly what we are seeing. So, instead of seeing new wine in new wineskins, we are merely seeing old wine leaving old churches and joining the shiny new facade of a new church and then leaving it once the luster fades.
Bottomline: The problem with the loss of membership in the UMC is not going to be solved by building new churches. Granted, we have a lot of churches that are restricted from growing because of their location or their lack of land for expansion. These can benefit from being moved to a new location. But, by and large, building new churches is not going to increase the kingdom or the membership in the UMC. So, what will?
One answer: Evangelism. Bringing people into the body of Christ and into our churches -- old or new -- and then discipling them in the faith until they begin to evangelize on their own. One thing we seem to be forgetting in our rush to build the new and close the old is that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The same God in the new church is the same God in the old church. And in which do you think He receives the most glory: A new church that is drawing people because of its building or an old church that is revived and growing despite its older facilities and traditional services?
In her book, "New Life for Dying Churches," Rose Sims tells the story of a church in Florida that was scheduled to be closed. She was sent in to pastor it to its death. She came in with a vision that God could bring the dead to life and they put an emphasis on evangelism and reaching out to the lost around the church. The end result was that this church of eight people grew into over 350 people in just six years! Here is an article from Good News Magazine that synopsizes her story.
As I close this post, let me leave you with one final thought: What do we do, then, with those small churches who are stagnant in their growth, who are burdened by conflict and control, and who are operating as chapels instead of as sheep-producing churches?
Here's one suggestion. Why not take some of the resources that is going into building new churches and invest it in these smaller congregations? Why not make the small churches a mission project for a larger church? Why not send a group of evangelically minded Christians from a larger church and have them join a small church?
This would generate growth in the small church, would help dilute control and conflict issues, and would provide the members of that church with positive role models who can demonstrate evangelism and how to reach out to those around them. Until the UMC becomes serious about making and keeping disciples in the church, we can build churches until we are the envy of every other denomination, but we won't have anyone to sit in the pews.
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