Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Associated Baptist Press Foundation
    • Planned Giving
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs and More
    • Transitions
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Donate Subscribe
Search Search this site

What if church doesn’t matter?

OpinionWesley Spears-Newsome  |  September 20, 2016

Wesley Spears-NewsomeAmericans are a remarkably faithful people when it comes to spirituality, yet they are simultaneously, remarkably faithless when it comes to institutional religion. Why? This perplexity borders on cliché since it has been true for a number of years, but it came up again this week in data.

Last week, Barna released its annual “State of the Church” report, and it had “good (and bad) news about the state of American faith.” Barna’s researchers found that 73 percent of Americans confess that religious faith is important to their life (77 percent in the Pew survey); and yet, Barna also found that a mere 31 percent of Americans attend a religious service once or more a month.

There are two ways of interpreting that seemingly perplexing bit of data. Consider Barna’s take first. Barna stipulates that “a more accurate picture of Christian faith in America” involves a “triangulation of affiliation, self-identification and practice,” whereas Barna defines “practice” as attending a religious service at least once a month. The 73 percent figure decreases to 31 percent after the triangulation. The logic is relatively clear: one can identify as Christian and even say faith it is an important part of their life, but that does not necessarily make one a practicing Christian. The thing that makes one a practicing Christian is going to church once a month or more.

Surely, at some point you need a clear metric to gauge someone’s faith in data, but I wonder if this assumption is a bit wrong-headed. What if Americans are not being disingenuous about their religious convictions (as Barna perhaps implies) but that church attendance no longer necessarily correlates with religious conviction?

As leaders in institutional religion, that is a scary question. Put another way, it is even more formidable. What if Americans are not lying? What if church does not matter to them because church doesn’t matter? I do not mean that in an existential sense — I believe church matters. If I did not think church mattered, this millennial would not have spent seven years getting a bachelor’s degree in religion and a master’s degree in seminary. If I did not think church matters, I would not have been ordained, worked in and for, and continued to seek service in church. Nevertheless, we owe it to ourselves as religious professionals — and as church-going people in general — to ask the question. What if church doesn’t matter to people because church, as it materially exists in our present moment, doesn’t matter?

What would a church that mattered look like for these scores of Americans who value their faith but do not necessarily value attending a church or place of worship? If church attendance no longer correlates with religious conviction, what might church need to look like to change that?

One of the bits of data in the Landscape Study that continues to captivate me is the percentage “of adults who feel a sense of wonder about the universe.” According to Pew, 75 percent of Americans report experiencing this phenomenon at least several times a year. We shouldn’t make a false equivalency with the 77 percent of Americans who report that faith is importation to them — it may not necessarily be the same people — but there has to be some overlap. But how often do people experience this wonder in our churches? How could they?

Additionally, 83 percent of Americans report feeling “a sense of spiritual peace and wellbeing” at least several times a year. But is that one of the things churches pursue? Is that a priority in our worship planning, our retreat organizing, or even in our small groups and Sunday Schools? This is obviously an important facet of the American religious experience, but what are we doing about it? Exercise regimens like SoulCycle or CrossFit emphasize this kind of spirituality better than we do. Practices like mindfulness meditation, types of yoga, or even the explicitly Christian Taizé chanting could achieve this in our churches.

The Barna report points out that close to 40 percent of Americans see their faith exercised in some sort of act of service. We often see mission work as an outcome of spiritual formation, at best, or a necessary requirement of a healthy relationship with God. What if we saw missional work as spiritual formation instead? What if missional work was less of a tacked-on option in our churches and more a central avenue to express your faith? The Barna report suggests such a direction might be in line with Americans’ experience of faith already.

We could do wonders for our churches if we stopped worrying about declining church attendance and worried instead about how much our churches vitalize (or not) the spiritual lives of everyday people. We could stop asking why people are leaving church and start asking why they should be coming in the first place. It’s not “Why doesn’t church matter to them?” but “Why should church matter to them?”

The point is not to revamp a seeker-sensitive church movement that turns Christian communities into commodities or service industries. Rather, we often assume (tacitly or explicitly) that our churches are innately authentic expressions of faith and we just need to try to get people’s faith to match that expression. We just need to make church more appealing.

What if we turned the question on its head and asked instead: what is God already doing in the authentic spiritual lives of people that our churches are ignoring? Maybe the future of our churches looks less like getting people to fit into our existing religious paradigms and more like trying to figure out what God is already doing in their lives without us.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

OPINION: Views expressed in Baptist News Global columns and commentaries are solely those of the authors.
Tags:MissionsMissionalworshipSpiritualitySpiritual FormationChurchchurch attendanceBarnafuture of the churchWesley Spears-Newsomestate of the church
More by
Wesley Spears-Newsome
  • Through the eyes of Mary: Looking at Advent anew

    This is a four-part series written by Julia Goldie Day in which we seek to see anew the incarnation of Jesus through the eyes and body of a woman, Mary the mother of Jesus:

    The blood of Advent
    The pain of Advent

  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Featured

    • Interfaith leaders influenced MLK’s Christian outlook, biographer says

      News

    • National leader of Chi Alpha resigns as sex abuse scandal looms

      News

    • Alabama Supreme Court declines to stop Samford from taking house of former fraternity

      News

    • New study finds Americans agree on issues facing their families but differ greatly on marriage and family in general

      News


    Curated

    • Recordings show how the Mormon church protects itself from child sex abuse claims

      Recordings show how the Mormon church protects itself from child sex abuse claims

    • This Palestinian American professor leans on his Quaker faith during conflict

      This Palestinian American professor leans on his Quaker faith during conflict

    • The Episcopal Church reckons with tangled protocol on clergy abuse and accountability

      The Episcopal Church reckons with tangled protocol on clergy abuse and accountability

    • Nearly a quarter of young Brits open to banning the Bible

      Nearly a quarter of young Brits open to banning the Bible

    Read Next:

    Devouring beasts: Advent and the 2024 election

    OpinionDavid Gushee, Senior Columnist

    More Articles

    • All
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Curated
    • Charles G. Adams, former BJC chair and legendary Detroit pastor

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • First Baptist Abilene dedicates $10 million community ministry center

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Letter to the Editor: I was there when CBF was created, and I disagree with BNG analysis

      OpinionBill Bruster

    • Stop doing business with China, religious freedom watchdog group urges

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • The Toxic Evangelical Variant

      OpinionMartin Thielen

    • SBC Executive Committee files amicus brief supporting NAMB against Will McRaney

      AnalysisMark Wingfield

    • ACE American Insurance Co. denies allegations in Kanakuk’s recent cross claim

      NewsMallory Challis

    • New study finds Americans agree on issues facing their families but differ greatly on marriage and family in general

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Thank you, Jack

      OpinionLayne Wallace

    • A call for immoderate mediators: David Gushee defends democracy from its Christian enemies  

      AnalysisAlan Bean

    • Interfaith leaders influenced MLK’s Christian outlook, biographer says

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • National leader of Chi Alpha resigns as sex abuse scandal looms

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Alabama Supreme Court declines to stop Samford from taking house of former fraternity

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Devouring beasts: Advent and the 2024 election

      OpinionDavid Gushee, Senior Columnist

    • New speaker of the House releases select January 6 footage to allow Christians and conservatives to change the narrative

      NewsSteve Rabey

    • If the Sinner’s Prayer is the only way to salvation, why isn’t it in the Bible?

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Journalist’s book explores ‘crack-up of the American evangelical church’

      NewsSteve Rabey

    • I asked for awe: The gift of awe and the path of radical amazement

      OpinionH. Stephen Shoemaker

    • Still a high and holy calling      

      OpinionTony Cupit

    • In Botswana, a booming economy lures U.S.-educated pastors home

      NewsAudrey Simango

    • The pain of advent

      OpinionJulia Goldie Day

    • ‘It was futile … nothing will change’

      OpinionChrista Brown

    • Supreme Court declines to reinstate Florida ban on drag shows

      NewsSteve Rabey

    • Immigration advocates deplore House Republicans’ effort to tie Ukraine aid to severe border measures

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Charles G. Adams, former BJC chair and legendary Detroit pastor

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • First Baptist Abilene dedicates $10 million community ministry center

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Stop doing business with China, religious freedom watchdog group urges

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • ACE American Insurance Co. denies allegations in Kanakuk’s recent cross claim

      NewsMallory Challis

    • New study finds Americans agree on issues facing their families but differ greatly on marriage and family in general

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Interfaith leaders influenced MLK’s Christian outlook, biographer says

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • National leader of Chi Alpha resigns as sex abuse scandal looms

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Alabama Supreme Court declines to stop Samford from taking house of former fraternity

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • New speaker of the House releases select January 6 footage to allow Christians and conservatives to change the narrative

      NewsSteve Rabey

    • Journalist’s book explores ‘crack-up of the American evangelical church’

      NewsSteve Rabey

    • In Botswana, a booming economy lures U.S.-educated pastors home

      NewsAudrey Simango

    • Supreme Court declines to reinstate Florida ban on drag shows

      NewsSteve Rabey

    • Immigration advocates deplore House Republicans’ effort to tie Ukraine aid to severe border measures

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Even as Biden supports their interest in Israel, white evangelicals disapprove of his job performance

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • As SBC moves toward second vote on Law Amendment, debate continues on just what it means

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Hawks and Felton to lead CBF advocacy efforts

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • 30 years ago, RFRA passed with support from a broad coalition unimaginable today

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Even on January 6, family was important to Mike Pence

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Transitions for the week of 12-1-23

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • ‘Pastor Johnny’ wins a bid to unseal Guidepost documents

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Tougher border policies will not stop the flow of migrants, immigration experts say

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Professors defend Thomas Jefferson from Christian nationalism

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Judge rules discovery may continue in Sillses’ lawsuit against SBC parties

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Letter to the Editor: I was there when CBF was created, and I disagree with BNG analysis

      OpinionBill Bruster

    • The Toxic Evangelical Variant

      OpinionMartin Thielen

    • Thank you, Jack

      OpinionLayne Wallace

    • Devouring beasts: Advent and the 2024 election

      OpinionDavid Gushee, Senior Columnist

    • If the Sinner’s Prayer is the only way to salvation, why isn’t it in the Bible?

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • I asked for awe: The gift of awe and the path of radical amazement

      OpinionH. Stephen Shoemaker

    • Still a high and holy calling      

      OpinionTony Cupit

    • The pain of advent

      OpinionJulia Goldie Day

    • ‘It was futile … nothing will change’

      OpinionChrista Brown

    • Big ideas at human size: An interview with Carrie Newcomer

      OpinionSusan M. Shaw, Senior Columnist

    • What I learned teaching incarcerated white students about structural racism

      OpinionChris Caldwell

    • Jack Tales: Remembering Jack Causey

      OpinionJustin Cox

    • Are our churches prepared for Christian autocracy?

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • Praying in a time of war

      OpinionMartin Thielen

    • The speaker and the Bible

      OpinionJim Harnish

    • Baptists were for separation of church and state before they were against it

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • What happens when the snow melts? Humanizing victims of the war in Gaza with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

      OpinionMallory Challis

    • Hamas’ ‘sexual pogrom’ in Israel

      OpinionJonathan Feldstein

    • ‘Useful idiots’ won’t end the Israel-Hamas war, and neither will a cease-fire

      OpinionErich Bridges

    • The blood of Advent

      OpinionJulia Goldie Day

    • Five truths about church committees and their work

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Tell me about your Christian tattoo

      OpinionMadison Boboltz

    • A generational torch passes at Bubba-Doo’s

      OpinionCharles Qualls

    • The desire for retaliation is a fool’s errand

      OpinionJohn Carter

    • Knowing what we see and remembering what we know

      OpinionWendell Griffen

    • Recordings show how the Mormon church protects itself from child sex abuse claims

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • This Palestinian American professor leans on his Quaker faith during conflict

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • The Episcopal Church reckons with tangled protocol on clergy abuse and accountability

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Nearly a quarter of young Brits open to banning the Bible

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Las Vegas man accused of threats against Jewish US senator and her family is indicted

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Israel’s mosaic of Jewish ethnic groups is key to understanding the country

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Influential Detroit pastor the Rev. Charles Gilchrist Adams dies at age 86

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • ‘Jesus’ film producers plan release of new animated version in 2025

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Elon Musk expresses regret for endorsing antisemitic post but swears at advertisers boycotting X over it

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Search For God In A Faithless Nation: Inside One Man’s Journey

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pope Francis asks theologians to ‘demasculinize’ the church

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • An Indian official plotted to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in New York, US prosecutors say

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • AP Photos: Church that hosted Rosalynn Carter funeral played key role in her and her husband’s lives

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Stoicism and spirituality: A philosopher explains how more Americans’ search for meaning is turning them toward the classics

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • How support for Trump is causing a rift in the evangelical church

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • In the US, Hmong ‘new year’ recalls ancestral spirits while teaching traditions to new generations

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Argentina’s president-elect, Javier Milei, visits Lubavitcher rabbi’s grave to offer thanks for his surprise victory

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Canadian Evangelical Scholar Fired Following University Investigation

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Top Diplomat Of Ecumenical Patriarchate Delves Into Catholic-Orthodox Relations

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Africa’s Wall Street Quiets Christian Worship

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Houston’s Hindu youth will soon have a summer campsite of their own

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • The challenges of being a religious scientist

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Tens of thousands march against antisemitism in London including UK ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Why George Santos’ lies are even worse than the usual political lies – a moral philosopher explains

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • The Democratic Republic Of The Congo Works To Improve Religious Freedom For Christians

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2023 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS