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Cause and Effect of a Church Decline
Often when traveling, I will visit a congregation that is familiar to me. It has either been recommended or is known for its stand for truth. One such case that I am familiar with was a small congregation in a nearby town that I visited each year when I competed in the annual roping event. A couple had visited our local congregation here in Cedar Park and told me about the congregation they attended. It was a small group that met in a retail center. My family and I would visit and enjoy the brethren there and the sound doctrine.
That was almost twenty years ago, and sadly that group no longer exists. What happened? Was it too small to survive? Did members lose interest and turn away? All too often, there are many factors that cause a church to decline.
I want to consider the three reasons that Brother David A. Banning wrote about in Biblical Insights and have us consider these warning signs.
We weaken ourselves and the Lord's body of people, when we don't reach out to the lost. We here at Cedar Park can fall into this trap. We are in one of the strongest economic areas in the free world. This brings an influx of people re-locating to our area who are Christians. We can very easily look at the increase in our numbers and feel that all is well. But when we as members do not fulfill our ability to share the gospel we decline, and in turn the body declines with us. God's kingdom grows when the gospel is preached and the lost obey. Mark 16 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Also: Acts 2:37-47; 8:4)
Economies change; people come and go. If the basis of Christianity is not taught and shared with those outside the body, then the body declines. We cannot depend on the prosperity of our secular world to increase our members. We must reach out and teach the lost. Matt 28 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The loss of our young people is a major factor in the decline of existing congregations. True, many of our youth move to attend school or start a career; that's relocating. However, the harsh reality is that over half of our youth fall away. It is a parent's duty to do all they can to teach their children to know the Lord. Eph 6 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. We need to afford our children the ability to attend solid Bible teaching which helps instill conviction and individual faith. Involve them in service to God, help them develop their talents, and provide an opportunity to put those talents to work, both inside and outside the church. 1 Peter 4 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Disagreement and division play a major role in congregations declining and in some cases disappearing completely. All too often, it is not over Biblical matters but is over personal or judgment issues. We cannot allow our personal feelings to interfere with truth. It is evil and contrary to God's will for His people. (John 13:34-35) It is in direct conflict with Christ's desire for us. John 17 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. It hinders and often completely stagnates our purpose to reach out to a lost and dying world. (Matt.28:18-20) We need to guard against matters of opinion and strive together in the unity of the spirit Ephesians 4 1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Much time and energy can be spent battling over trivial matters, while the spiritual battle is neglected.
We are a blessed and prosperous group here at Cedar Park. Let's recognize the need to share the good news of the gospel and avoid the decline of our spiritual well-being.
Greg Boatright
