According to the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, 10% of churches in North America are at risk of dying. I believe the reason is as simple as this: for most churches, methods are of more value than the mission.
The death of any church is a terrible thing, but the death of many churches throughout North America is tragic. In the very same moment that the culture desperately needs churches to be thriving and growing, churches are declining and dying at an alarming rate. Most of the churches that are declining and dying are those churches that refuse to change, not their doctrinal positions, but rather the methods they employ in reaching the lost with the Gospel.
What is supposed to be of the highest value to churches is the mission they have been given by Jesus Christ: the Great Commission. The charge to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, codified in Matthew 28:18, is the central reason the church exists in the world today. The mission of the church is to be its highest priority, but for many churches–and many Christians, for that matter–the mission has become an afterthought. The mission has been forgotten, or, in the face of conflict with methods, it has been abandoned altogether.
As any pastor or church leader knows, methods are sacred to many Christians. “Methods” can be defined as the way in which a church goes about its business, how it conducts itself, and how it attempts to fulfill its mission. At some point in the past, most churches had specific methods that were effective, giving rise to what is known as the “heydays” of the past. The methods that worked in the past no longer work in the present, but because of comfort, familiarity, power struggles, or simply stubbornness, many churches fail to recognize when methods come into conflict with the mission.
For clarity: mission is what a church is there for (why it exists); method is how the church accomplishes that mission (what it does).
The most stunning thing of all is to watch methods win when mission and methods collide. Many churches find themselves abandoning the mission by default because of a commitment to outdated and ineffective methods, many of which have no basis in the Bible. Mission and methods collide when a church is no longer able–or willing–to ensure the Gospel is preached and disciples made, because only certain methods are allowed to be employed.
One of the methods bringing about the death of multiple churches is that of “attractional ministry.” This method embraces a worldview that says, “The world is coming to us.” In the past, when churches were considered to be the center of a town’s social and cultural life, simply existing and offering programs was enough to draw a crowd. However, that methodology no longer works. The world has changed; culture no longer places the church at the center of its orbit.
Most churches seem to believe that the Gospel can only go forth on Sunday mornings and in the church building. If the world refuses to “come to church,” then the world can go to Hell. Sure, I know that no one would say it that way, but try suggesting that followers of Christ go outside the walls of the church–especially on a Sunday morning–and share the Gospel, and you’ll get that answer by default. As long was we require that people be saved on Sunday mornings from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, dressed in a suit and tie, in triangle-shaped buildings, the church will fail to accomplish its mission. And the reason will be a commitment to methods that no longer work, even at the cost of the mission which is of utmost importance to Christ.
Here’s how to know if methods and mission have collided: has the mission stopped being fulfilled because of “the way things should be done”? Let me be clear: I am not talking about compromising the Gospel, Biblical truth, or doctrinal fidelity. I am talking about methods that churches employ, such as building use, programming, dress requirements, and musical styles. I am talking about things like service times and locations of meetings. If methods are more important than actually reaching the lost with the Gospel, then it is clear that methods have collided with mission and methods have won.
Followers of Christ, it is time that we evaluate the methods we are so fond of and ask if they are prohibiting people from coming to Jesus for salvation. We need to ask if we are accomplishing our mission; if not, we must do something to course correct. Our mission is what Jesus cares about. Why? Because it is His mission as well. We are co-missioned with Him to take His Gospel to the word. We should never let our methods, preferences, desires, and wants override His clear commands.
When methods and mission collide, don’t let methods win. Make the mission the priority and let methods go where they were meant to go upon their expiration of effectiveness: the trash heap of history.