Dying Churches

Ron Writes

It is always upsetting to learn that a church has closed its doors for good. Recently, a church in Washington has announced they’ll no longer be meeting and there’s rumors that one in Oregon will soon be closing. Once vibrant and growing, but they’ll be no more. It’s heartbreaking!

What went wrong? There are questions. Did they stop reaching out to the community with the gospel? Did they lose sight of their mission and become satisfied with just worshiping? What happened to the young people? Did they lose interest? Did the older folks refuse to nurture others to lead? And there are so many other unknown things we want to know. And perhaps the hardest question of all, could it happen here?

The death of the churches in Revelation was predicted. The Lord said it would happen. He identified the problems. He had told them to repent or die. Change or die. They lost their focus. There is no church in Sardis nor Laodicea any longer.

It is believed that the NT book of Hebrews was written when the church was in decline. It’s easy to think of the church in merely physical terms, as flawed people who have failed to connect to their culture. The writer of Hebrews changes direction and calls his readers to refocus on Jesus. He calls his readers to see the church as an unshakable kingdom rooted in eternity: “….you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant….” (Heb. 12:22-24).  The church will not fail for it is an unshakable kingdom (Heb. 12:28). 

Are there some practical takeaways? We must remain fervent in our love for God and one another. Young folks must prepare themselves for leadership. Older folks must nurture and mentor those who will take their place. We must grow old and die, but the church is God’s eternal kingdom.