8 signs your church may be closing soon

Thom Rainer July 20, 2017

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We call it the death spiral.

I know. It’s not a pleasant term. I can understand if it causes you to cringe.

By the time I am contacted about a serious problem in a church, it is often too late. The problems are deeply rooted, but the remaining members have been blind to them, or they chose to ignore them.

Indicators of trouble

There are eight clear signs evident in many churches that are on the precipice of closing. If a church has four or more of these signs present, it is likely in deep trouble. Indeed, it could be closing soon. Sooner than almost anyone in the church would anticipate.

1. There has been a numerical decline for four or more years. Worship attendance is in a steady decline. Offerings may decline more slowly as the “remnant” gives more in hopes of keeping the church going. There are few or no conversions. This downturn is clear and pervasive.

2. The church does not look like the community in which it is located. The community has changed its ethnic, racial, or socioeconomic makeup, but the church has not. Many members are driving from other places to come to the building. The community likely knows little or nothing about the church, and the church likely knows little or nothing about the community.

3. The congregation is mostly comprised of senior adults. It is just a few years of funerals away from having no one left in the church.

4. The focus is on the past, not the future. Most conversations are about “the good old days.” Those good old days may have been 25 or more years in the past. Often a hero pastor of the past is held up as the model to emulate. No one can aspire to wear the same halo.

5. The members are intensely preference-driven. They are more concerned about their music style, their programs, theirschedules, and theirfacilities than reaching people with the gospel. Their definition of discipleship is “others taking care of my needs.”

6.Reflecting the preference-driven nature of the members, the budget is severely inwardly-focusedas well. Most of the funds are expended to keep the lights on and/or to meet the preferences of the members. There are few dollars for ministry and missions. And any dollars for missions rarely include the involvement of the members in actually sharing the gospel themselves.

7. There are sacred cow facilities. It might be a parlor or a pulpit. It could be pews instead of chairs. It might be the entirety of the worship center or the sanctuary. Members insist on holding tightly to the very things God wants us to hold loosely.

8. Any type of change is met with fierce resistance. The members are confronted with the choice to change or die. And though few would articulate it, their choice by their actions or lack of actions is the choice to die.

Facing choices

Churches with four or more of these signs have three choices.

• They can embark on a process of change and revitalization.
• They can close the doors for a season and re-open with a new name, a new vision, and some new people.
• Of course, the third choice is to do nothing. That is the choice to die.

Unfortunately, thousands of churches will do just that the next 12 months.

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Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, and online community and resource for church leaders. Prior to founding Church Answers, Rainer served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Before coming to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Learn More »

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