Navigating Change in the Great Dechurching
Earlier this month, Transform Minnesota invited a group of pastors and church leaders to join us for our 2024 Leadership Summit. As we continue to focus on helping the Church of the future to navigate change, we invited Jim Davis, Teaching Pastor at Orlando Grace Church and co-author of The Great Dechurching, to help these leaders better understand what he describes as the largest religious shift in American history.
Davis spoke on the research conducted for his book, which found that more than 40 million adult Americans have stopped attending church in the last 25 years. This dechurching trend includes 15 million adults from evangelical churches. Through his presentation, Davis was able to highlight different profiles and dispel numerous myths about why people are leaving the church. He was then able to offer practical steps for leaders to help individuals return to church, ranging from those who just need an invitation to those who need more in-depth discipleship, engagement, and healing.
Dr. Joel Lawrence, President of The Center for Pastor Theologians, continued the day by highlighting the need for evangelicals to further define the identity of the Church. Lawrence encouraged leaders to help their congregants identify first as citizens of the kingdom of God. By understanding how this is counter to a mis-formed political identity that many have adopted, the Church can better understand its role as an exilic ambassador to the world.
Pastors Jenn Alexander of Hosanna Church and Kyle Robinson of Wooddale Church followed up by discussing the steps they’ve taken for their churches to model Jeremiah 29’s call to seek the welfare of their communities. The Leadership Summit also offered pastors a great chance to network, understand the impact of dechurching, and discuss the future of the Church.
