The numbers are not precise, but we estimate there are around 400,000 churches in the United States. Of that number, nearly 90% could be described as "established." I prefer the term "established" to the more commonly used "traditional." Unfortunately, the latter term has come to mean to some a style of worship or a focus that is program driven.
|
|
We use the nomenclature "established" to refer to a church that has not made significant changes in its ministries, programs, and lay leadership in the past five years. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with an established church. Change may not be needed if all is well in the church. Unfortunately, that is not the case in most established congregations. In nine out of ten of these churches, the congregation is decreasing in average worship attendance, or the attendance growth rate is not keeping pace with the growth rate of the community.
Leaders and Established Churches
The good news is that we found a number of established churches that are truly impacting their communities. Though these churches are a clear minority, their examples and stories are worthy of study. Indeed we sent researchers across America to learn from these congregations and from the leaders of these congregations.
And what was one of the key lessons we learned? It was no surprise. The health of these churches could largely be tied to the leadership of the churches, and the way God worked through these pastors.
In this and a few subsequent commentaries, we will look at some of the characteristics of these leaders. The lessons are instructive and sometimes surprising.
