Editor’s note: U.S. church attendance has significantly declined, dropping from over 40 percent of adults attending weekly in the early 2000s to roughly 30 percent today, according to the Pew Research Center.
By Rev. Sheree Taylor-Jones
Do you remember getting the call to be a minister? Do you still feel the sacred joy of being an ordained minister? Have you thought to yourself recently, that the business of ministry feels like it’s getting in the way of your purpose to be in divine service?
If you answered yes to the above questions, then I want to help you get a clearer picture of why there’s been a decline in church attendance, the energy unfolding for church ministry, and simple actions you can take to infuse your ministry in new ways.
First, this article focuses on what factors have been instrumental in church decay. Then in the second article to follow, I’ll share the ways to jump start your ministry, measures backed by years of scientific research.
Let’s begin with church decline. Studies show that there are six major factors that contribute to dwindling of church membership. Take a moment to see if any of these are factors in your community.
- Leadership Instability
- High pastoral turnover: If every couple of years there’s a new minister, this means there’s no stable person in divine leadership that holds the continuity of history and communal energy.
- Conflict between pastor and board: Even if you think that the community is unaware, they are aware. Remember we are energy beings and the frequency of conflict is dense and felt by all.
- Lack of clarity about the church’s mission: The existing mission and vision have nothing to do with operations or how people behave.
- Burnout or emotional exhaustion in clergy: Burnout is an energy reflected in our overall society and when felt in sacred leaders it challenges spiritual truths.
Why it matters: People return to places where they feel emotionally safe.
- Inward Focus
- Congregations that become inward‑focused: Is your community focused on operations, maintenance, capital improvements, and paying the bills? Then your church is inward-focused.
- Churches where people attend but do not form relationships: A spiritual community does not thrive by attendees; it needs participating members.
- Lack of meaningful roles for newcomers: People disengage when they don’t feel seen and appreciated.
- Cliques: Ever say your community is welcoming? Take a moment to witness how newcomers are welcomed. Is there a difference between how regulars are greeted and newcomers? Cliques are power dynamics of control, which excludes differences.
- No community presence: If your community is not involved outside of the church walls, then you are invisible to others in your region.
- Lack of volunteer opportunities: Volunteerism builds connections.
Why it matters: People stay where they feel known and useful.
- Worship Disconnect
- Preaching that is unclear, overly academic, or conflict‑avoidant: If sermons are not relevant and not helping folks deal with life, then the desire to participate wanes. Conflict avoidance doesn’t support growth; it promotes stagnation.
- Services that feel disorganized or uninspired: People won’t invest where they aren’t fed.
- Worship that feels disconnected from peoples’ lived experience and has no relevance to daily life.
Why it matters: People want clarity and support without rigidity.
- Demographic Mismatch
- Aging congregations with no pipeline of younger members: Most New Thought communities have demographics of 70/80-year-old white women. There is often a lack of younger and diverse members ready to take on the mantle of ownership.
- Mismatch between church culture and neighborhood demographics: If your neighborhood is young urban professionals, are you still operating in the 1970s family paradigm?
- Neighborhood changes not reflected in membership: If your neighborhood is now diverse, why would people who live nearby attend a church where their culture is not represented, welcomed, or included?
Why it matters: Churches grow when they match the people around them.
- Digital Absence
- No livestream, or thinking it’s optional: Livestream is now the norm. It’s where people attend church before committing to any community. They get to witness virtually to discern if there is a fit.
- No online giving: Means online attendees aren’t considering your church as a place they belong.
- No digital communication: Online guests remain an audience as opposed to members.
Why it matters: Digital is now an entry point for in‑person engagement.
- Cultural Rigidity
- Resistance to change: Holding up a system that is no longer relevant stops supporting people in their everyday lives.
- Theological vagueness: Using old terminology or speaking theoretically doesn’t help those who need support in figuring out how to live spirit-filled lives in today’s world.
- Rigid traditionalism that resists all change: What worked 20-50 years ago, won’t be effective today.
- Culture-war identity that alienates younger generations: Labeling younger people as Gen-Z or Millennials, while making statements that their generation is lacking, doesn’t create belonging.
Why it matters: People return when worship feels like it feeds them.
Churches decline when they lose clarity, connection, or adaptability. If we do not create welcoming environments that inspire, make meaningful connections, and help the individual navigate their 21st-Century life; we will continue to shrink.
Join me for the next article in which we discuss how to grow your community with deep relationships, joy, and possibilities.
Rev. Sheree Taylor-Jones
Rev. Sheree Taylor-Jones is a minister, consultant, speaker, and author. Her passion is to assist people in questioning their personal beliefs, assessing and analyzing if those beliefs are valuable or need to be changed, giving them permission to release beliefs which no longer serve them, and supporting them in creating new empowering ones. She believes it’s in our ability to question our convictions that we are able to create personal transformation, which leads to a collective shift in consciousness.
Through her passions she has published a book, via Amazon.com, titled Turn Your Why? Into Why Not! This book gives practical applications in changing erroneous thinking.
Rev. Sheree has created a new spiritual community that is non-denomination New Thought, Celebration of Spirit. Its purpose is to put practical application of spiritual principles into the world.
Sheree is also the host of a podcast called Belief Busters (beliefbusterspodcast.org) that supports transformation of consciousness. You can reach Rev. Sheree at her website, PreachItSister.com and her Facebook page is Preach It Sister.
Amazon book link: https://amzn.to/2MX5SuJ
Rev Sheree YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNskyJvjdo6rAjZL1l4xEOA
This is the first in a two-part series. Part 2 examines factors in growing churches. Subscribe to our Ministry Marketing Advisor if you would like to be notified when Part 2 is published.
