Church in decline!

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phil36

phil36

Senior Member
#1
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
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#1
Hi all,

On my surfin travels I came across this website, it has facts and figures regardin major denominations, membership etc, it is only for the UK but it is not very encouraging, it also has figures for the Eu as a whole.

Is this a similar trend in your countries?

heres the wbpage: http://www.whychurch.org.uk/denom_trends.php#Ang

Phil
 
wattie

wattie

Senior Member
#2
Feb 24, 2009
3,054
1,032
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New Zealand
#2
Yeah.. here in New Zealand.. the Methodist church split down the middle about 8 years ago over gay minister issues. The Anglican church here has done the same. Smaller congregations in there organisations are being merged with larger ones because of declining numbers. I think the same is happening for Catholics here.. but they just seem to morph with the times.. and so seem to retain numbers.

The fact is the younger generation are not interested in old school hymns.. vague teaching and old traditions. Even strong biblical teaching.. they need to be weened into. But pentecostal and charismatic churches here always seem to get reasonable numbers.. especially from young women and older women.. who often end up leading out ministries. There is an emotional appeal with the charismatic and pentecostal churches that lures women especially- being intuitive feeler types.

My own church is independent missionary baptist.. and there were very few churches like ours in NZ to begin with.. so we don't expect people flocking to us.. but we are highly evangelical and get out in the community sharing faith. Baptist union churches that came out of the UK are the stronghold here.. American Baptist style churches.. ie independent are few are far between.

Anyway.. that is some of what is happening in NZ
 
loveschild

loveschild

Banned
#3
May 21, 2009
3,955
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#3
Things that will be happening very soon the people are going to run to the churches. The churches are to be making sure they are going to be filled with much love because many broken people will be coming.
 
MahogonySnail

MahogonySnail

Banned
#4
Jan 8, 2009
7,576
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#4
It's sort of encouraging because those denominations don't properly represent christianity anyway.
 
C

charisenexcelcis

Guest
#5
#5
In the United States we have virtually lost two generations, the "hip-hop" and the millenial generations. The chruch is growing rapidly among the Hispanic and Asiatic cultures though, a reflection of what is going on in Africa, South America, and Asia. There the church is growing rapidly. Also in the former Soviet countries.
 
J

Jordan9

Guest
#6
#6
Yep, it is on the decline here last I checked. "Non-religious" is the fastest-growing religious denomination here. A lot of folks, especially around my age, feel that they've been let down by the church. Sometimes these opinions are justified.

But people have been predicting the end of the Church for hundreds of years. It hasn't happened yet. Like Jesus said, the gates of Hell will not prevail against us.
 
C

Consumed

Guest
#7
#7
MahogonySnail said:
It's sort of encouraging because those denominations don't properly represent christianity anyway.
Click to expand...

God always leaves a remnant of His people, be interesting to get the sataistic of the last 2000yrs regarding church growth and decline, hey i say that they had it in the old testament too, when they sinned and were led into captivity it was cause many turned from God, yet when they lamented their poor decision they were redeemed by His grace as is still to this day. How good is God, can sing of his love forever
 
MahogonySnail

MahogonySnail

Banned
#8
Jan 8, 2009
7,576
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#8
Yes if one believes in the remnant theory and the 'calling out of babylon' it is an encouraging sign. But if one loves babylon and worry that babylon is in decline then yes one may get a little worried and think it's a bad thing.
 
phil36

phil36

Senior Member
#9
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
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#9
I think in this equation we have to remember that the west is a secular society, The UK is not a Christian Country, it is secular, the decline, maybe reflects the fact that people now don't feel it is part of their 'duty' to go on a sunday the way it used to be. so maybe it is just the remnant... just a theory, possible though.

Phil
 
MahogonySnail

MahogonySnail

Banned
#10
Jan 8, 2009
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#10
What do you sing now then as your national anthem..." Richard Dawkins save the Queen ?"
 
C

charisenexcelcis

Guest
#11
#11
MahogonySnail said:
Yes if one believes in the remnant theory and the 'calling out of babylon' it is an encouraging sign. But if one loves babylon and worry that babylon is in decline then yes one may get a little worried and think it's a bad thing.
Click to expand...
Christians in the Western world must become intercessors for their native countries. I pray daily that God will have grace toward the U.S. and will enpower us in our work to win the heart of America. We must be in the world but not of it and love our nations as God does, realize all along that our first citizenship is in heaven.
 
R

rodiel

Guest
#13
#13
Of which Church are you talking about. The church where Christ is the head and the Spirit supplies the body with nourishment, and is a dwelling place for God in the Spirit, one where John said was a number that was beyond count, or the church of satan? c h u r c h /changing humanity under revelations of Christ holiness...God wills it.
 
DinoDillinger

DinoDillinger

Senior Member
#14
Jul 28, 2009
839
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#14
While church attendance may be in decline that does not mean that the body of Christ is in decline. I see signs of just the opposite actually. :)
 
M

Matthew

Guest
#15
#15
phil36 said:
On my surfin travels I came across this website, it has facts and figures regardin major denominations, membership etc, it is only for the UK but it is not very encouraging, it also has figures for the Eu as a whole.
Click to expand...
Interesting website Phil thanks for posting it. :)
I was actually discussing this recently with my mother, I have been trying to get a bit more understanding about denominations in the UK and how christianity is 'broken up' here and it led me to the same conclusion that for non-christians or people in-between it is a strong disincentive to learn about chrstianity because it seems like the various churches don't even know what it is or how it should be, for an outsider looking in it seems like pure chaos and makes people think that if christians can't agree then they are best off out of it.

Also interesting that it says that christians appreciate the diversity as they can find a specific form of practice that works well, it may not be by design by the result is that it seems oddly self-serving and christians are happy with things but non-christians can't appreciate it all, I know it is simplistic to say but the conclusions reached do signify that that the christians in the UK are, to some extent serving themselves and forgetting to make the faith accessible to others, which means in a way they've lost the mission.

My mother and I spoke for hours and barely began to understand the different denominations and she was unaware of some of the things I told her, which just goes to show how deeply confusing it is even to christians.
 
M

Messyantic

Guest
#16
#16
The "church" is made up of dozens or even hundreds of denominations who have chosen which of the commands of God that they wish to follow. The level of commitment of those who do attend the churches is often a Sunday only experience. With regard to England, I once heard that there were about the same number of churches as there were mosques. Except that the churches were mostly empty and the mosques were mostly full. Makes you wonder where we are ending up.
 
VW

VW

Banned
#17
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
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#17
phil36 said:
I think in this equation we have to remember that the west is a secular society, The UK is not a Christian Country, it is secular, the decline, maybe reflects the fact that people now don't feel it is part of their 'duty' to go on a sunday the way it used to be. so maybe it is just the remnant... just a theory, possible though.

Phil
Click to expand...
I hate to say this, but I don't think that there is a christian country, nor has there ever been one. I am not even sure if it is possible for a country to be christian. Countries have been based in their beginning on some christian principles, but that never lasts very long.

Any type of organization will eventually leave the principles that it was founded upon, because the rulers of these will be fleshly. This is why the church of Jesus, the bride of Christ, His body, is not an organization, but is an organism. That is, a living and breathing spiritual being, joined to Jesus by His Spirit. Each part, added by the Spirit, ligament by joint by muscle by bone. We are being built up into a spiritual house, a temple of the Lord, by the Holy Spirit. When the church reflects this, then it will become what it should.
 
G

giantone

Guest
#18
#18
The church in decline isn't the worst thing to happen. The worst thing to happen (and already has happened in history) is when persecution stops and everybody becomes Christians and the psychics and anybody else tack the word Christian on there door to get more business. Then the yeast enters the church and leavens everything. it makes a big mess that doesn't go away.

Actually the true decline of the church isn't in numbers. it is in lack of knowing what you believe and Who you believe.
 
VW

VW

Banned
#19
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
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giantone said:
The church in decline isn't the worst thing to happen. The worst thing to happen (and already has happened in history) is when persecution stops and everybody becomes Christians and the psychics and anybody else tack the word Christian on there door to get more business. Then the yeast enters the church and leavens everything. it makes a big mess that doesn't go away.

Actually the true decline of the church isn't in numbers. it is in lack of knowing what you believe and Who you believe.
Click to expand...
Amen, the decline is in the life of Christ in the church.
 
C

Consumed

Guest
#20
#20
Messyantic said:
The "church" is made up of dozens or even hundreds of denominations who have chosen which of the commands of God that they wish to follow. The level of commitment of those who do attend the churches is often a Sunday only experience. With regard to England, I once heard that there were about the same number of churches as there were mosques. Except that the churches were mostly empty and the mosques were mostly full. Makes you wonder where we are ending up.
Click to expand...

yes you make a very good point there,"western world" started as faith beleiving socities, valued God. These same countries have turned from God and now "economics" is the secular church mindset. Yes we do need to pray for our leaders.

Israel openly states it is a secullar nation then claim soveriegnty over the land as God given, now that makes me laugh, they acknowledge God then discount God altogether in day to day governing.
 
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