Six Stages of a Dying Church

It’s not a pleasant topic.

But if we don’t talk about dying churches, we will act like there are no problems. As I wrote in Breakout Churches, the first stage for any church to reverse negative trends is awareness or, stated another way, confronting the brutal realities.

Somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 churches in America will close their doors in the next year. And many of them die because they refuse to recognize problems before they became irreversible.

So, it is with both sorrow and great love for local churches that I share a pattern that is increasingly common. I call it “the six stages of a dying church.”

  1. Denial. The church is declining numerically, but no one seems concerned. Fewer people are reached with the gospel, but no alarm sounds. The church’s impact on the community is negligible, but life continues in the church like nothing has happened.
  2. Recalibration. There is a sense that something’s wrong in the church, so the church responds in one of two ways. Do more of what we are doing that has proven ineffective. Or, secondly, seek a “magic bullet” program, emphasis, or new pastor. The church does not really want to change; it just thinks it needs an adjustment.
  3. Anger. Church leaders and members begin to recognize that the magic bullet did not reverse the negative trends, so they deflect the blame. It’s the denomination’s fault. It’s those young people who don’t respect the way we’ve always done it. It’s the messed-up culture. It’s the people in our community who stopped attending churches. The anger in these churches is palpable.
  4. Exodus. The church had been losing members gradually to this point, but now the outflow increases. And even those who don’t officially leave attend less frequently. The worship center is desolate on Sunday mornings. The anger in the church moves to demoralization.
  5. Desperation. For the first time since the dying process began, the remaining members say they are more open to new ideas and change. But their words are more words of desperation than conviction. They now see the handwriting on the wall. Their church will soon die.
  6. Death. The church becomes another sad and tragic statistic. At best, the church deeds its property to a healthy church. The process from denial to death in the recent past would take as many as thirty years. Today, the process is much shorter, ten years or less.

Churches have broken free from the death stages, but they are rare. And the longer the church waits to make substantive changes, the more difficult it becomes to reverse the path. It’s significantly easier to make changes at stage one than stage four.

Also, keep in mind that nearly nine out of ten of the churches that die are in communities that are growing.

The problem is not a shortage of people. The problem is a shortage of courage, commitment, and sacrifice.

Posted on June 12, 2017


With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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42 Comments

  • Christopher says on

    American church culture is not that different from the ambient culture. That said, perhaps we should welcome the decline and dying of churches just as we do the destructive forces of capitalism. There is a reason why Western Union went out of business and there may be a good reason why some churches need to close their doors. The Gospel is always a message that is relevant and in-season, but many churches are operating on paradigms similar to Western Union and Oldsmobile.

    • Christopher says on

      The destructive forces of capitalism? You’re not one of those who thinks Jesus is a socialist are you?

  • Robin G Jordan says on

    I think that you have done a great job of describing the dynamics of declining and dying churches. What I would like to read are more articles on what pastors and other church leaders can do at all six stages to turn their church around. I am not talking about extraordinary gifted pastors but ordinary folks like myself, folks who don’t have the discretionary funds to attend seminars on revitalizing the local church or to watch webinars on breaking out of the spiral of decline and who must gather ideas from articles and podcasts on the Internet.

  • Laura riddle says on

    Jesus talks about the dying church, and the dead church. He tells them to wake up! And it comes through scripture that they are not focusing on his return. A dead church can be large and busy or near empty. The single best way to liven up a church is to focus again on Jesus and the fact that someday he will be back for us or we will meet him in the after life. Either way we are to be looking for him. Ps my degree is in real estate I help churches but sell and lease property. A church i attend now is about to be given its 2nd church property of a dying church in less than 18 months

  • Laura riddle says on

    Jesus talks about the dying church, and the dead church. He tells them to wake up! And it comes through scripture that they are not focusing on his return. A dead church can be large and busy or near empty. The single best way to liven up a church is to focus again on Jesus and the fact that someday he will be back for us or we will meet him in the after life. Either way we are to be looking for him.

  • Charles Beeghley says on

    I took on a Revitalization with a core of 20 people. There comes a point when you have to help them see the future grim, while preparing them to finish well. They teach us how to revitalize a church, but no courses on how to properly close in such a way to honor the history of that body, and glorify God.

    • Harold Hambley says on

      One Association in Arizona had a victory celebration funeral where they celebrated their past and present victories and courage. Then they closed the building, boarded up the windows, put a fence around the property, deeded the property to the Association for them to start a new work there in six months. It worked.
      Just an idea.

  • I personally believe we are entering a time when churches dying will be a good thing.

    Hang on–I’m not against the organized church. But we have been fed a steady diet of church growth principles, fad driven, business model oriented church that is exactly what Jesus warned us about and told us not to do. We don’t depend on the Holy Spirit but on the latest and greatest book promotion, top five songs on the play list, using mind science and magic to manipulate folks to “join the church.” Which they have done. In droves. But now we have churches full of the unsaved, churches that embrace apostasy, and churches that jettison the Holy Spirit in favor of more gurus and man made wisdom.

    It will be a good thing when those churches close. It will be a good thing when a church of 1500, with only 75 actually saved, become churches of 75 members. It isn’t bad. It is the first stage in revival. I’m not advocating humans go around judging who is saved and who is not. I’m saying we cannot sustain membership based on felt needs, entertainment, best praise band, or whatever the fad of moment is. Rather, I’m saying the apostates and unbelievers will self select out of the church the minute we quit pandering to them.

    It will hurt. Jobs will be lost. Buildings will be sold. The whole “Jesus industry” will collapse.

    And praise God, the Church will survive and take up her task again, and truly be the church!

    • Rebecca Egbert says on

      Linda,

      I completely agree with this. The large and growing churches are often so due to the desire to be applauded by the world. We have pulled anchor and no longer tether ourselves to Christ. We would rather have numbers than risk being persecuted and abandoned by the world. Look for the persecution and abandonment and you “might” find a healthy church. A servant is not greater than his Master.

    • Hey Linda,

      well said!!!

      we need more of such truths!!!

      but the unfortunate can happen when sheep are enforced to sustain an unhealthy church due to power abuse.

      i do agree with the last point in the main text “The problem is not a shortage of people. The problem is a shortage of courage, commitment, and sacrifice.”

      very factual truth. just by the numbers the world population is on the increase, but people’s faith can be lacking as Jesus already warned us about it.

      for those of us who dare to do the right thing for Jesus, be prepared we will be thrown under the bus.

      time for real good spiritual warfare?

      David Z

    • Amy Phillips says on

      Linda,

      ?

      That is all.

  • Thank you Thom.
    Our church is prostrate on the ground and open to anything from the Lord. Eleven or twelve years ago we decided that we had to become a Bible and Christ centered church so we broke from the United Church of Christ and have been an independent Church since then. While we go by our official corporate name as a Congregational Church, we have modified our by-laws to align with the views of our pastor and other advisors. We have had 3 pastors since then (which I know does not sound good – it is a long story) and in the process of all this we have continually lost members going from around 60 on a Sunday to around 15. We have changed and continue to be open to change, while preaching the Bible and singing praises to our Lord every Sunday. Our elders have a set time to pray every day for our church, our pastor and the sick in our circle of community.
    We have an amazing VBS which draws in excess of 50 children from our community.
    Yet we do not grow and in fact, continue to loose 2 and gain 1 as time goes on.
    What can we do?

    • Please don’t take any of these questions the wrong way – my heart goes out to you and those who are in prayer over this matter.

      Have the leaders been asking people why they are leaving?
      If so, what are they saying?
      Are those who are leaving going to other churches or are they not going anywhere?
      Is the leadership dogmatic on any non-scriptural things that could be driving people away?
      What would you say is the difference between those who are still there and those who have left?
      Might there be hidden sin in the camp? Has that been discussed?

      Many blessings… I hope it turns around.

      • Our assumption is that there must be something wrong with David’s church.

        What if they are really a great Christ focused Bible believing church serving community (eg., VBS), but people only want a feel-good church.

        No one is talking about this.

      • I doubt that people want a “feel good” church. That’s one of the lies that declining churches throw out to make them feel better. Sure, back in the 90s, there was an Exodus to churches ran by guys like Osteen that were more “feel-good”, but the fact is that preaching grace and truth will stir some good thing inside of you. Whenever you stifle that, you stifle the gospel.

        Let’s not lie to ourselves and think that we have to feel bad every time a preacher says something or when we worship. I’ll never forget what a friend told me once; “That preacher is so good that everyone feels convicted whenever they leave.” Is that the point of preaching?

      • I’Ve witnessed quite large vibrant churches who appear to be thriving but I know that people aren’t necessarily living Holy lives. These are the churches of many ‘chances’ and they allow people to serve, regardless of their lifestyle, as long as they look ok. I wouldn’t say anything goes, but a lot does. I found this type of arrangement more like a business and spiritually unhealthy and I left.

  • The problem is also a lack of focus on the ONE thing that matters most. Our focus should always be on Christ and the desires of His heart to lead us into a greater relationship with Him. I really appreciate the statement from an article by Brett McCracken on the 9marks website:

    “When a church becomes less about the demands of Scripture on our lives and more about our demands on the church to fit our preferences (e.g. favored music style, ideal sermon length, etc.), it loses its power to transform us and subvert our idols.”

    https://www.9marks.org/article/the-danger-of-church-shopping/

  • Christopher says on

    An interesting phenomenon I have observed:

    A church is desperate so they call a young pastor that already has a good reputation in the community and the church agrees to do whatever the new pastor says. The new pastor institutes sweeping changes, even changing the name of the church. The changes work and the church begins to grow once again but the old members are still not happy. Eventually they leave but no one notices because the church is growing so much.

    I’m not saying this is good or bad, I just find it interesting.

    • Ben Horrocks says on

      That’s basically a more challenging, “new” church plant or start.

    • Right now we are changing the name of the church and reaching out to the younger age groups most of us are the older members I have been there 30 years but we are the ones looking to change the church and have met more resistance from those with families or younger they fought about the name change didn’t like the name we picked so we are in prayer as we move foward we are treating this as a brand new church plant

    • Whoa, do you go to my church? Hah! Only kidding… kind of.

  • george chew(Dr) MA JP says on

    Leaders that are rigid, inflexible and guard their deep theology , a “holier than thou attitude” They even exclude the pastor who reaches out to the lost and downtrodden in the community who poorly dressed;
    they regard the church as their own provincial right , their own sense of piety, and a special clique. There is no compassion for the weak and dismissal of the others for their lack of bible knowledge
    clique. Sad to observe a ebbing fellowship when satan appears to be in control

    • I have seen this in many of the Churches I have attended over my life, and unfortunately it can also be applied to Military Churches (Chapels). When you have those within the Church who have basically for want of a better phrase, formed a ruling Clique, they want the church to remain the same as what it was when the became a member. In order for a Church to survive it must remain viable to the and within the community, it cannot do this by excluding new younger vibrant members or a younger vibrant pastor.

  • How do you
    push back at each stage?

    • Thom S Rainer says on

      Ben –

      For brevity, my response is over-simplifed. These stages are indicative of churches that are inwardly focused. The more the church looks beyond herself and into the community, the better the opportunity to break out of the death spiral.

      • Ben Akano says on

        Yes, the death of any church is announced the moment its focus is limited to only the benefits of its members. Once that particular need is met, they don’t seem to see the relevance of the church again. But for an upward looking church, the field is always white and ready for the harvest

  • Tom Harper says on

    Great article! Another situation that I have observed is that there are some older traditional churches that refuse any change to be more appealing to millennials and younger generations. They are committed to the past and firmly entrenched in tradition. There is a giant deception that equates the old traditions with the Gospel and they have become convinced that contemporary means watering down Truth. Some of these churches may have a net gain in membership as the inflow of retirees slightly exceed the out flow of the young, but are losing the sustaining life and future of the church. They have growth but are setting themselves up for long term death.

    • Thom S Rainer says on

      Yes, Tom. Such scenarios are increasingly common.

      • Anonymous Lady says on

        What the Mormons do with their young people (yes, deep inhale, I’m talking about *those people*), is that they piggy-back one congregation of young and single adults on top of a traditional, family-based congregation.

        I know of a church building where the family congregation meets and has their services at 9 am. They wrap up around noon.

        In the same building, the young and single adults start arriving at about 12:50 pm for their services, which begin at 1 pm. The young single adult services are actually structured very similarly to the family congregation’s services, but the young and single people are more free to openly discuss matters like chastity, which inevitably means talking about sex, without having to do so within earshot of little children, which gets really awkward. And the young and single people could make their services more “contemporary” if they want.

        I’m a big fan of singles’ church for reasons of discussing and disseminating actual Christian theology like the issue mentioned above, and not merely for reasons of style.

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