"So, while many both inside and outside the family of God take some perverse pleasure in declaring “The church is dead,” we can with full faith and confidence shout in response, “Long live the Church!”"

At first I thought, "is he taking a cheap shot at me?!?"
But then, I realized no, you're speaking from the heart.

So, to clarify my position.

The American Church, the one that calls us to it's buildings on Sundays, that is the one that is dead, and now the corpse has the decency to lay down and stop pretending it is alive.
The church of G-d, that one...oh yeah, that one is thriving; But, what we're watching isn't Y'shua's church dying, we're watching our construct of Christianity/religion in America finally falling apart.

btw, you might want to include the PCUSA in that list as well.

I don't believe the American evangelical church and movement is doomed, and not just because Christ is in control of it. It's because more and more of it is taking place off the radar of traditional evangelicalism.

Case in point: Last weekend some friends of mine, along with several fellow attendees of their rapidly-growing nondenominational church, went camping and baptized their kids. These folks are off the radar in three ways: (1) a church that isn't formally connected to other churches, and (2) doesn't care so much about its own congregants' formal connections to it; (3) whose people feel free to perform a Christian rite that traditionally has been performed by pastors and kept track of so as to show the denomination's growth.

And many Christians nowadays are totally fine with that. It's not about what's recorded; it's about more and more people developing a growing relationship with Christ.

Wouldn't this post be more accurately titled "Denominationalism is dead"? But then that has been written about for decades and is nothing new. I agree we should not hide our heads in the sand, but the Holy Spirit is responsible for the church, not us. Denominations, or at least many things about denominations, should die. While SBC did some good things at their recent meeting, they voted almost 2 to 1 to recommend no SBC member (or other Christian) use the new NIV bible. That is about a small group of people protesting a form of translation theory, not about an issue that really is important to the church.

Great post. Thanks. Jesus will win!

I enjoyed this article and the following comments. And really, is it such a bad thing that the SBC is dying off? I think not. The local church may be suffering a bit, but the CHURCH, the bride of Christ flourishes. Oh happy day!

I would, probably, try to take some of that perverted pleasure, if someone would ultimately declared: "The 501c-3 type of the American one-man-show church (trust, fund, corporation) is finally dead. Long live Christ-centered, true-love-filled, Gospel-based, Spirit-driven simple, genuine ekklesia of the redeemed! Naive? Fortunately, it's a reality for the majority of Christ's faithful.

"I think we get ourselves into trouble when we fail to distinguish his Church from the numerous 501c3 organizations we call “churches.”"

This is gold. How many 501c3s out there are calling themselves a church? When we are no longer able to distinguish an expression of the local church from any other 501c3 it is time to shut it down.

The true church is thriving, and will continue to thrive... the churches that have lost their way are doing nothing more than padding the stats for studies which say the church is nearing its' death.

It's interesting when you think of what became of those New Testament churches. Are they still in existence? - Maybe the 'gospel' is preached until there is a saturation point in an area and then moves on. What is left is a few true believers and many empty shells.

Sowing and reaping.

My husband and I have attended a local SBC church for nine years. We tithe to this church and are one of the 20% that is there almost every time the doors are open. We are NOT members there. This is because while the Spirit is active and moving in our church we believe that a lot of the policies of the wider SBC organization are not biblical. I know of at least one more person who attends who has done the same thing. Denominationalism is dying, long live the Church!

Stats are showing that the house church is an option being pursued by more of us.

No programs. No committees. No membership rolls. No politics.

Our focus is on prayer, worship, teaching, connecting, serving. And loving each other well.

For this conservative Evangelical? The most loving, diverse, vibrant, giving church family I've ever been a part of!

One of the most profound questions I have ever heard is this...

"Why does someone, anyone have to be "in charge"?

On the surface it seems ridiculous because who is going to lead?
Who is going to direct?
Who is going to organize?
Who is going to [fill-in-blank-with-activity]?

The American Church has evolved into a citidal like institution where tradition goes unquestioned, and when it is questioned the end-result is a divisive squabble between entrenched traditional moralists who are unchanging in their view of traditions, and post-modern progressives who want to dump the baby with the bathwater.

There is a reason why people are leaving institutional churches....they're dead, spiritually dead....criminy, the spirit left the people way after everyone lost perspective on why they gather in fellowship in the first place.

So I say what does the living have to do with the dead...leave the dead to bury themselves, the living have plenty to do to occupy our time than worry over a rotting corpse that is too far gone to be given a proper burial.
The world will deal with the bones as it does with all other decaying edifices, all we need to do is watch where we step.

As protestants, we have known for hundreds of years that the Catholic church is theologically, relationally, financially, institutionally, functionally, (etc) corrupt. Yet the system continues today with many people walking in the door to genuflect. Does anyone there want to fix it? No, they think it's holy. They have Catholic filters on their understanding. Is it dead? It's not for me to say, but I won't walk in that door except for spiritual life reasons that go far beyond what is offered there.

Protestants have corruption in all the same areas but only with a little less degree. Do they want to fix it? No, most of them think it's all holy. They have institutionalized faith filters on their understanding. This system will continue on for generations even if the Spirit is not empowering it. (The Mormon church is prospering in terms of people walking in the door without the Holy Spirit empowering it.) Is the evangelical church dead? It's not for me to say, but I won't walk in that door except for spiritual life reasons that go far beyond what is offered there.

I will walk in the door for "spurring one another on to love and good works", or "letting the word of Christ dwell richly with all wisdom as we teach and admonish one another, or "speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs..." (the demonstration of being filled with the Spirit Eph. 5). Life would increase dramatically here and around the world for the SBC if they would give up denominationalism and institutionalism and grasp organic church life.

Since Christ is the head of His Church, He is establishing His kingdom on this planet, and we are the Church...

How are you [how am I] letting God use us the best, most efficient, most powerful way possible?

Are we doing literally all we're able to do [thru Him] to establish heaven on earth?

The destruction of the 'church' institution is needed, and I'm happy it's happening. This paves the way for God to do His will, without man-made barriers.

Then, that brings up another interesting thought, that we are indeed able to hinder or expedite the ultimate will of God. [!]

Great post.

I never heard such baloney. Denominational churches have been and are there for a reason. The simple fact of their numbers helps the church to be able to reach out and spread the word and do mission work, etc. The numbers in membership are the reason why the rest of the world is converting to Christ. How do you think the missionaries got to these parts of the world and were able to stay there. Right now, the denominational churches are being hit by every sinner there is because their size makes them capable of stopping the sinners. The Catholic Church is now stable and becoming stronger than ever once they figured out 81% of the sexual misconducts were by homosexuals against past puberty young men/boys. Now the Protestant churches are being hit by the homosexuals, adultery, living without marriage condoned by the government as in common law marriage, etc., the true name of the devil is secularism humanism and the 60s if it feels good do it. Sin is such a strong draw. The churches can't give in any more or they will disappear. The reason why the small groups aren't being bothered is because they are too small to be considered a threat to the devil. The denominational churches are the threat to the devil. They need to wake up and stand up to that. You need to stay in the denominational churches to hold the line or the word of God will end with them as the small groups don't have the time, money or personnel to spread the word as the larger groups have that ability. We now sing a child's song, Jesus loves me, yes I know in our service. The strang quietness of the song is the one thing that new members mentioned that made them come, not the rights of homosexuals, not the draw of living together as so many are doing but the song saying Jesus loves me makes people want to stop sinning and follow him. Such a simple change in our worship unbelievably has made a major difference.

"The reason why the small groups aren't being bothered is because they are too small to be considered a threat to the devil. The denominational churches are the threat to the devil."

Uh...hmm...for some reason, and I'm still thinking about how to articulate this, but...t'ah...yeah, this strikes me as absurdly wrong.

I'm going to have to think about how to articulate why, but yeah, there's some other things in this that strike me as difficult to reconcile with history as well, but the above quote really stood out.

Big or small, denomination or not, traditional or emergent or whatever, what is needed is a foundation planted on the gospel, on trusting God at his word, and on putting as little between the word of God and the congregation as possible. Christ draws those who He would have follow Him, and we can respond or remain in rebellion. The organizations that put show, rules, money, fame or pandering to self in the way of the basic truths in the Bible are ultimately going to die. But true church is vital, needed and will remain.

The key here is that the churches take this chatter as a sign to examine themselves, see if they are truly rooted in Jesus and the Word of God, and repent and clean up as necessary.

I think size is meaningless, and in fact, what many pastors, and teachers encounter is called the mob mentality which occurs with five or a thousand people.
Size isn't the factor, it's the mentality of the mob.
And when a mob forms, rational thought is the first thing to get tossed out the window, followed by common sense, and if a pastor wants to remain in his/her position then it is time to pander to the mob.

So, as I think about Orginal Anna quote that I singled out, Satan doesn't give a rip about what size a church is, only how effective it is.
And the only thing right now we're told through the bible is that we are to resist the Devil...through prayer, through scripture, through obedience to the will of G-d.
So, herein is where I can finally say what it was that bothered me about this quote...

"The reason why the small groups aren't being bothered is because they are too small to be considered a threat to the devil. The denominational churches are the threat to the devil."

You, me, everyone else will never threaten the devil to any significant degree with out pitiful mewlings of "I'm a child of G-d, oh yay me!"
No, what sets Satan's sails on fire, what makes him get all fired up, and snarling mad is when he confronts one (1) follower of G-d, one simple, lone, follower of G-d, throws every temptation in that followers face of lust, love, money, fear, angst, hate, or ill thought and instead of the follower of G-d crumpling in a heap of fleshly humanity, they turn to G-d and glow with the presence of G-d.
That is what sends Satan packing...not a mob of head-bobbing, hand-waving, knee-bending-to-the-beat people in a large building listening to earth-moving, wall shaking music, or a rousing sermon that strums the emotive chords in our minds...no...no...one solitary individual in the middle of a wreck called life who turns to G-d...that is what Satan fears more than anything else, because that person is a spiritual bastion that he wants torn down, down, down before others he has enthralled with his tricks become aware of them.

Church historian Phillip Jenkins wrote in his book "The Lost History of Christianity" that we need to start thinking about a theology of extinction. Of course the Church will live on, but your church may not. For over a thousand years the Church flourished in the Near East, and then almost completely disappeared, and in some areas did just that. One day the church in South America may give a history lesson about how North America was once dominated by Christians. In no way is this a defeat for God, it simply means he is working elsewhere. America needs to stop thinking it's the exception to history.

I say, so what? What if God doesn't care as much as we do about the SBC and its report or status? What does it matter how well the SBC does? They are not the hope of the world nor are American Christians.

If God so chooses not to use us the way we want, who are we to bark at that? The SBC might want to consider what God may be saying to them or do they have that all figured out already?

Theology of extinction...what is that? How about a theology of continuation? God continues His work however, wherever, whenever, with whoever He wants and He does it all without our approval (as if God had to wait for that). We don't have the right to protest or start navel-gazing. We have the obligation to follow where He leads and He's going to do so with or without us.

No hand-wringing or whining permitted. Start listening, continue praying (if you're doing it at all) and start walking and loving God; because the cloud, it's a movin'.

About time someone wrote the real truth about God's Church.

It seems to me that instead of just saying 'Oh well Jesus has it under control' we might try actually preaching against sin and the sinful culture which produces numbers like '57% of evangelicals don't believe John 14:6.' Case in point - Jack Van Impe finally called out Rick Warren. Well many people think they are both moneygrubbers so what does it mean? Except, Jack is on the right side of the issue. There is to be a message from the church which says 'Repent and believe' not 'come on in and see if you like our song and dance numbers.' The Lord will add to the church as He sees fit, but how will they believe if they haven't heard (the real gospel), and how shall they hear unless someone is sent (by God, not by a seminary per se)?

If only the things we see today were new. No, things have been bad for decades we just didn't notice it for some reason. Americans don't know the truth like we once did and there are so many reasons for it but it all comes down to the sins of Sodom - she had abundant luxury. The riches of the wealthy are their strong tower and until the Lord finishes tearing down the wall of our wealth their will be no significant revival in this Nation.

There are so few people willing to take God at His word today. Every pastor that wants true growth (in christian maturity) for their congregation should stand up next sunday and list the major sins of this nation. Thundering from the pulpit they should proclaim that no one who claims to be a brother should give place to such things. There is not a greay area when it comes to homosexuality, abortion, adultery, or any other sin. Stop sinning!

If we cannot cease from sin we are none of Christ's and our place is not in the church choir where we tangle everyone else up into our attempts at religion, it is outside where dwell the immoral.

I here a cliche often 'The church is not a holy huddle.' But wait, if the church isn't holy it isn't the church Jesus started. End of story.