There have been a myriad of books recently released concerning the church in the Western world. While coming from different perspectives, they share one thing in common: the church is in trouble. I would assume that there are a few of us reading this who are facing serious questions about the condition and function of the church. The diminishing church in the West today is often front page news. As the mighty notions of church, science, and state meta-narratives inevitably begin to corrode and ultimately collapse, is the church going to disappear from the scene?
To focus briefly on this for a moment, it’s no secret that many European churches are being sold off to developers and art galleries. Only a small amount of people attend church in many of the countries of a new and progressive Europe. If this decline continues, some statistics show, church membership by 2030, will all but disappear in many Western nations.
If we consider the United States, there is no question about it still having some big churches, yet the impact of the church on mainstream culture continues its downward spiral towards irrelevance. No doubt there are lots of church buildings – someone recently told me of a Texas church that is undertaking a new $47 million, or something like that, building project – and if I can hazard a guess, there will probably be a new bowling alley and health club included, so that believers don’t have to mess around with those unbeliever types, when indulging in these activities.
Often, not always, this type of situation perpetuates a disembodied Christian faith, which has been gutted and emptied of truth and love. Buildings and activities take precedence over people, and when that happens we’re destined for serious problems.
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