-Drew McElhaney
Over the past 25 years in America, an estimated 40 million adults have stopped going to church, marking the largest religious shift in the history of our nation. That’s the latest research from Jim Davis and Michael Graham in their 2023 book, “The Great Dechurching.” The potential reasons for this flight are legion: the rise of unbelief, the decline of cultural Christianity, pastor scandals, the COVID pandemic, increased political tension, youth sports, church hurt, distrust of institutions, widespread religious apathy, and the list goes on. Whatever the case, the trend is clear: many Americans, even confessed Christians, no longer value attending church.
It is a common sentiment that one can have a thriving relationship with God apart from involvement in a local church. And though I would never claim that church attendance is necessary for salvation, I would contend that the Bible holds a much higher view of the Church than many believers. Open the pages of Scripture and you will discover that God has always been about forming a people for Himself – not just isolated individuals. In the Old Testament, this was the nation of Israel – God’s chosen people. In the New Testament, this God-formed community is found in the Church. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus proclaims that He is the one who will build His church. In Acts 2:46, the Church is portrayed as a group devoted to one another, meeting daily for worship and fellowship. In Ephesians 4:11-13 and 1 Corinthians 12, the Church is the body of Christ in which each individual part is essential for the growth of the whole. In Hebrews 10:24-25, the Church is a gathering that ought not be forsaken by the faithful. In 1 Timothy and Titus, Paul gives instructions for appointing proper church leadership. In Revelation 2-3, local churches are addressed, commended, and corrected by the resurrected Christ. In Ephesians 5:25-26, the Church is the bride of Christ, whom He loves and makes holy.
The manifold witness of Scripture is that the Church is valued by God. As such, Christians should not be eager to jettison a commitment to a local body of believers. Surely, we Christians often get church wrong. We’re not as loving as we ought to be, we can be careless in speech and action, we sin and fall short. We are all works in progress. And yet, at her best, the Church is also a bastion of gospel truth, a hospital for the broken, a haven for the hurting, and a training ground for the saints. The Church was established by God for His glory and our good.
Dear reader, perhaps these words find you churchless. Maybe your experience with church has been poor. I simply want to offer you an encouragement. Try church again. There are many good churches in Hennessey and the surrounding towns. Find a place where you can call home. Commit yourself to the Lord and to those people – and watch what God can do through the simple obedience of showing up.