Almost anyone who labors in the field of church work is aware of the challenges of maintaining church membership, teaching those seeking to grow in their spiritual walk and expanding the mission of Christ in the world. These tasks and challenges have been a constant part of church life in America. However, it is also becoming clear that this present moment in the lives of Christian communities is different. While the pandemic that has ravaged our neighborhoods and families has changed the way that we gather, worship and serve, important features of
American religious life have shifted dramatically. These shifts, each significant on its own, are even more impactful when considered together. Historic declines in church membership, in religious self-identification and the increasing influence of celebrity leadership are trends that are confronting churches today. Sarah Pulliam Bailey, in a column published in the Washington Post (March 29, 2021) entitled Church membership in the U.S. has fallen below the majority for the first time in nearly a century makes the following observation.
“In recent years, research data has shown a seismic shift in the U.S. population away from religious institutions and toward general disaffiliation, a trend that analysts say could have major implications for politics, business and how Americans group themselves. In 2020, 47 percent of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque.
The polling firm also found that the number of people who said religion was very important to them has fallen to 48 percent, a new low point in the polling since 2000.” The dominant narrative among many Americans is that this has always been and remains a church going nation. This narrative has been the basis of the presumed social, political and cultural power of churches in our nation. Part of this power has been rooted in the commitment of members to their churches. But what Ms. Bailey’s analysis suggests is that the notion of membership has weakened to the point that individual churches and even denominations themselves no longer command the loyalty they once did.
People still go to church but fewer of them see themselves as members of the institutional church. Church leaders today must begin to think of their work and the Christian community in different ways. The idea of church membership is a product of 20th century social developments. The idea of joining a group—a bowling league, a lodge, a club or a church—was a way of finding one’s place in the community. The idea of membership no longer drives the social choices that people make, in the way that it once did. Church leaders who previously could rely on the motivation of belonging to fill the pews must now look deeper to find ways to bring them in. One way to begin is to acknowledge that prior generations went to church to be informed and shaped by tradition. Younger generations engage information in a completely different way.
They see information as valuable when it is tailored to their specific and unique needs. They are less interested in membership in a church than in ownership of their religious experience. In an opinion piece published in the Miami Herald titled Americans still have faith in God, but more of us have lost our faith in religion (April 02, 2021), Leonard Pitts, Jr. agrees that churches in the traditional sense have shrunk.
However, he posits a specific reason for this; that many American churches, most notably, White evangelical churches have identified with a certain brand of politics. To be clear one could point to other ways that churches have failed to live up to their moral mandates. Instances of sexual abuse, financial impropriety and other short comings have provided sufficient reasons for many to abandon the church. However, Mr. Pitts argues that those churches that have aligned themselves with a regressive set of political commitments have abandoned the politics of Jesus.
Historically when Christians have been faced with the choice between embracing the pursuit of political dominance and embodying the principles of Jesus, many have chosen to jettison Jesus. In the US the rise of the political right has coincided with the rise of the religious right. Religion and politics have never been separated in American life.
The question has always been whether your religion directed your politics or whether your politics determined your faith. As Mr. Pitts notes, when regressive politics infects our faith, it becomes difficult to adhere to the ethic of Christ. “We went from “feed my sheep” to cutbacks in school lunch programs. From “love ye one another” to ignoring AIDS because it was “only” killing gays. From “woe unto you who are rich” to tax cuts for the wealthy and trickle-down leftovers for everyone else.
From compassion for “the least of these” to condemnation of mythical welfare queens and other lazy and undeserving poor.” Some church leaders mistakenly believe that their ministries will prosper if they avoid politics altogether. Such a ministry may be attractive to persons who want to avoid taking sides in such matters. However, the question for the church is whether it is on the side of Jesus. Even if it is true that the regressive politics of some churches are reasons for their stagnation, there is still good news to be heard.
Citing recent research, Mr. Pitts concludes that ““Small wonder the church is shrinking. And yet, even when they feel let down by the church, seekers don’t stop seeking. Note that Gallup also reports that, depending upon how you word the question, as many as 87 percent of us still profess belief in God… Maybe that’s what the people who used to fill those pews are waiting for. Because, yes, the church is shrinking. But they know that God is not.”
The challenge for church leaders today is to seek those who are seeking God.A third trend that has affected the church in America is the celebrity preacher. The fact is that there have always been famous clerics.
The 19th century produced preachers of great notoriety. In the 20th century revivalist with national and international followings were not unusual. With this notoriety came wealth and influence. That wealth and influence was generally derived from the religious community. Ministerial wealth has often generated a kind of moral incongruence, that is, is it right for a minister to acquire great wealth?
However, in the past ministerial wealth was clearly derived from the Christian community and ministerial influence was generally focused on the Christian community. Today, the issue of clergy wealth and influenced extends well beyond the traditional community of believers. In this moment the goal for many clergy is not simply wealth and influence, but celebrity. In a fascinating article published in the Washington Post, Preachers and their $5,000 sneakers (March 22, 2021) the fashion habits of several well-known preachers are described with a focus on expensive athletic footwear. Social media observer, Ben Kirby of Dallas Texas “began asking questions about the lifestyles of the rich and famous pastors when he was watching some worship songs on YouTube on a Sunday morning in 2019. While listening to a song by Elevation Worship, a megachurch based in Charlotte the evangelical churchgoer noticed the lead singer’s Yeezy sneakers were worth nearly the amount of his first rent check. Kirby posted to his 400 followers on Instagram, “Hey Elevation Worship, how much you paying your musicians that they can afford $800 kicks? Let me get on the payroll!” The significance of these sneakers is that there are emblems of celebrity.
Their price positions the preacher as a scion of popular culture. The image of the pastor as celebrity reinforces the notion that religion is primarily entertainment. It also makes it difficult to critique the limitations of consumer culture when the religious leader is the symbol of its complete embrace.
As Sarah Pulliam Bailey, the author of the article observes, “In recent years, the line between who is a pastor and who is a celebrity has been blurred. Kirby notes how often Hollywood celebrities and preacher celebrities will be seen together in social media posts, such as Lentz playing basketball with Drake, pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. on FaceTime with Justin Bieber or Pastor Craig Groeschel hanging out with Kanye West at his ranch in Wyoming.” Expensive footwear, famous friends and other symbols of celebrity are powerful influences on others. When added to pervasive social media outlets, it is understandably easy to be attracted to the lifestyle.
The question for church leaders today is not how many followers we have, but who are we following? Is it the Jesus who only had one pair of sandals? I don’t think they were Yeezys.
By Bishop James H. Evans, Jr., Ph.D., Litt.D.
