Is class often a deciding factor in church attendance?

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livingbygrace

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#1
Dec 19, 2009
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In England last year an Anglican Bishop said that the Church of England's membership in the main consisted of middle class people. He wondered what had gone wrong. Most churches(though not all) that I have attended have a majority from the more affluent half of society and the inellectually more gifted half of society. I have found this includes born again churches.
Personally I have found very few people who have been crushed, broken, oppressed, downtrodden stay at churches for a considerable amount of time, and yet Jesus said these were the very people he was anointed to preach to.
Has the majority of churches become places that the more deprived in society and those less affluent or academically gifted feel uncomfortable in? And if so why?
 
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lighthousejohn

Guest
#2
#2
livingbygrace said:
In England last year an Anglican Bishop said that the Church of England's membership in the main consisted of middle class people. He wondered what had gone wrong. Most churches(though not all) that I have attended have a majority from the more affluent half of society and the inellectually more gifted half of society. I have found this includes born again churches.
Personally I have found very few people who have been crushed, broken, oppressed, downtrodden stay at churches for a considerable amount of time, and yet Jesus said these were the very people he was anointed to preach to.
Has the majority of churches become places that the more deprived in society and those less affluent or academically gifted feel uncomfortable in? And if so why?
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Here in the United States there is a church called "Set Free". Their membership consists almost entirely of alcoholics, addicts, ex-cons, prostitutes and street kids. These are the same people that God has called me to minister to. The church that I was a member of at that time sponsored a set free ministry in our church. They were invited to participate in our morning worship. Every Sunday they would come in and sit off to the left side of the auditorium. Very few people from the church went over to greet them or to make them feel welcome. Very few people would even acknowledge that they were even there. Many complained because of their clothing whaich was not suit and tie but shirts and jeans.

This is the same church that sponsored my ministry. When I brought 16 people to the church to be baptized (this had been pre-arranged with the church staff), they were added on at the end of the service and I could here the murmuring of discontent because of the extra time involved.

This ame church moved to a new building (at a cost of several millions of dollars for construction ) because they wanted to reach a more affluent group of people. The people in the neighborhood around the old location were lower income.

Jesus spoke about favortism and said in Mark 9:35 "35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." We are told in James 2:8-9 "8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers."

I think many churches show favortism although they will never admit it. They will have to give an account before God.

In Christ,
John
 
MahogonySnail

MahogonySnail

Banned
#3
Jan 8, 2009
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We used to have church in or next to a park with a number of homeless people who would also attend. I haven't found a regular church like it.
 
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1still_waters

Guest
#4
#4
I think those in church leadership give great speeches about reaching out to the drunkard, drug addict, prostitute, poor and those considered in the 'league of outcasts' by our society.

When the rubber hits the road, things are a different story.

I went to a church once, where they gave great sermons about reaching out to the 'league of outcasts' in the name of Jesus.

Then, we had a chance to buy a building next to a bowling alley that served beer. During the meeting one of our board members who happened to be rich and gave a lot to church, said he wouldn't bring his family to a church that was near a bar, to protect the safety of his children.

My question, if a church can't even be by a bar, how in the world are these folks going to act if those who go to bars actually come IN to our churches?!

I get concerns like this guy had, but honestly, I think folks love to give those reach out speeches, but they wouldn't actually open the doors of their upper class country club church to a league of prostitutes, drunkards, drug addicts and the like.
 
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giantone

Guest
#5
#5
livingbygrace said:
In England last year an Anglican Bishop said that the Church of England's membership in the main consisted of middle class people. He wondered what had gone wrong. Most churches(though not all) that I have attended have a majority from the more affluent half of society and the inellectually more gifted half of society. I have found this includes born again churches.
Personally I have found very few people who have been crushed, broken, oppressed, downtrodden stay at churches for a considerable amount of time, and yet Jesus said these were the very people he was anointed to preach to.
Has the majority of churches become places that the more deprived in society and those less affluent or academically gifted feel uncomfortable in? And if so why?
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Not at my church, we have many people with interesting pasts and none of us are very wealthy. Ive seen people who had motives or an attitude to take ownership of church they usually have a little bit more money. I don't understand why people bother doing that if they really fear God or believe in Him.
 
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imoss

Banned
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Feb 27, 2007
3,179
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Our local Christian book store is in a very bad area of town. I pray they never move. These folks are folks. they sit in the entrance of the book store and one of them in her haze was ministering to another about Jesus as I walked past them & into the store. They were there to warm up as it was 30 below. They were both wasted but they were talking about the Lord. The lady in the bookstore apologised and said they are just waiting for a taxi. There was no need for apology. I love my new church, we have an amazing diverse congregation and they have in church training & all regular members do greet newcomers. I've been greeted & greeted! & not just the hello & welcome, they are genuinely interested & I see this in how they deal with others too. The love of the Lord is evident here & quite often our pastor goes out to the road and waves people in yelling goodmorning welcome come on in! what a great guy he is!
 
phil36

phil36

Senior Member
#7
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
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yeah, churches do seem to be more middle class. However, Pastors often talk about reaching the outcast in society and we all sit there on a sunday saying amen to that, then on monday we forget all about it. is it up to the Pastor to do everything? I think we have to examine ourselves more.. do we all go out and befriend the outcasts? do we make a real effort everyweek to try and reach even just one? Talk to them make relations with and gosh horror..ask them to church even if it means we go and pick them up.

Now ask your self...are we the problem the congragation who talk planety but just have hot air.... we certainly talk the talk.. but by what I have seen and heard people talking...we don't walk the talk.

I think this is a major point.... we just sit back and say...oh, someone else will do it...or an elder is not keen on the idea.... we are workers of the kingdom... why don't you yourself go and ask a drug addict/alcoholic etc to church and take them yourself.. and don't worry what anyone will say.. God will honour you for it... not some man in a gucci suit or is to religious to care about the poor.

The state we are in, is the state we help to create!!!!

Just my own ramblings and convictions, not aimed at anyone person but to us all.


lets stop moaning and start doing! :)


in Love

Phil
 
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livingbygrace

Banned
#8
Dec 19, 2009
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phil36 said:
yeah, churches do seem to be more middle class. However, Pastors often talk about reaching the outcast in society and we all sit there on a sunday saying amen to that, then on monday we forget all about it. is it up to the Pastor to do everything? I think we have to examine ourselves more.. do we all go out and befriend the outcasts? do we make a real effort everyweek to try and reach even just one? Talk to them make relations with and gosh horror..ask them to church even if it means we go and pick them up.

Now ask your self...are we the problem the congragation who talk planety but just have hot air.... we certainly talk the talk.. but by what I have seen and heard people talking...we don't walk the talk.

I think this is a major point.... we just sit back and say...oh, someone else will do it...or an elder is not keen on the idea.... we are workers of the kingdom... why don't you yourself go and ask a drug addict/alcoholic etc to church and take them yourself.. and don't worry what anyone will say.. God will honour you for it... not some man in a gucci suit or is to religious to care about the poor.

The state we are in, is the state we help to create!!!!

Just my own ramblings and convictions, not aimed at anyone person but to us all.


lets stop moaning and start doing! :)


in Love

Phil
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Well I feel I should state(as I started this thread) that I do not attend church. I sincerely hope I have not talked of being anything other than a poor Christian by my comments on cc. However, I do enjoy the theological debates of the Bible and don't feel my non attendance of church precludes me from that.
I have in the past taken different people to church hoping they may learn of Christianity and join in the fellowship. However, I learnt that no matter how inspired the preaching is, in reality what is most important is that the individual feels at ease with the congregation and finds people in it that they can relate to and feel at ease with. In the end I stopped asking people, knowing they would feel like a fish out of water.
I would be interested to here from people why they feel that churches are mainly(but not all) made up of middle class people, especially the core of churches
 
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Rogue

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Apr 4, 2010
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As far as church is concerned, the only people that should be there are Christians. The biblical mandate of the church is to raise up disciples. To raise up disciples, you have to be saved. The point of church, at least in Scripture, was NEVER meant to be for unbelievers.
 
MahogonySnail

MahogonySnail

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#10
Jan 8, 2009
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That's a valid point Rogue. But scripture does indicate unbelievers are welcome :

1Co 14:23 If, then, the whole church meets together and everyone starts speaking in strange tongues---and if some ordinary people or unbelievers come in, won't they say that you are all crazy?
SSince many churches don't actively go out and evangelise as they did in the bible though, the church has become a healing centre and evangelistic tool itself. Unless unbelievers are invited in, they will rarely hear the gospel.

Modern day church is a byproduct of the times when nearly everyone in the village or town were christian. The church was the centre of the town and also acted like a town hall. It just hasn't changed with the times. What you realy have to do , is get out of the building and walk the streetes. Knock on peoples doors, go to businesses, go to the shopping malls, the parks, etc. Engage people face to face where they are at. This is what they do in third world countries, and in asia, in africa, and it works.
 
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Rogue

Banned
#11
Apr 4, 2010
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MahogonySnail said:
That's a valid point Rogue. But scripture does indicate unbelievers are welcome
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Welcome, yes. But these days, churches are structured almost completely around bringing unbelievers in and some even going so far as to change how they do things so the unbelievers stay. This only provides milk for those who need discipling when what they need is meat.

Since many churches don't actively go out and evangelise as they did in the bible though, the church has become a healing centre and evangelistic tool itself. Unless unbelievers are invited in, they will rarely hear the gospel.
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That's because Christians aren't meeting their biblical mandate, either :)
 
loveschild

loveschild

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#12
May 21, 2009
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Jesus came for the unbelievers. Thats not a valid point at all. Thats totaly missing God. Some of the things you people say is scarey.
 
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Rogue

Banned
#13
Apr 4, 2010
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#13
loveschild said:
Jesus came for the unbelievers. Thats not a valid point at all. Thats totaly missing God. Some of the things you people say is scarey.
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Try not to make a judgment about a person until you hear all they have to say :) Scripture shows that the entire purpose of the church is to build up the believer and make disciples. Those disciples then fulfill their biblical mandate and "go into all the world" to preach about Jesus.

We are never told in Scripture to wait until they come to us. We are told to go to them.
 
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