WHY THE CHURCH?

Dwight Smith 1998 writes, The most important question being asked by the people of the West today is, “Why the church?” Many in leadership presume to know the answer. Courses in just about every training school purport to cover the topic. Local church pastors preach sermons on the subject. Concerned para-church organizations distribute glossy adverts, coupled with expensive materials, packaged in multi-day seminars, guaranteeing, latently at least, that they have the answer. Megachurch leaders organize show and tell weekends for the lost and hungry from all over the world to come to their patch and see the answer.

But, if we truly understand the role of churches in the world, why all the unhappy
people voting with their feet against organized Christianity? Statistics do more than tell an interesting story to introduce a public presentation. They give us a hint of trends that if they don’t change spell somewhat certain outcomes. And, all of the trends that I see tell me that the future of organized, Christian, local church life in the West, is headed into irrelevancy at best, and extinction at worst. Don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying that the Gospel will die, or that followers of Jesus will cease to be counted in our nations. But, the public and organized forms that we have known for hundreds of years are in deep trouble.

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