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RSS FeedIf a church has a very small congregation, should it disband?
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| Yes | 9% | 55 votes | Total: 620 votes | |
| No | 91% | 565 votes |
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Add to FavoritesSmall churches tend to become a family. The membership of such churches would rather lose a limb than close the doors on the church. When a church drops to a very low level of attendees, the questions always begin to swirl about whether it would be better to close the doors or to continue operation. Several factors need to be considered in making this difficult choice. Having been involved with the rescuing and the closing of several small congregations over the past 30 years, I believe that I have some insight into this situation.
First, it has to be determined what constitutes a congregation small enough to consider closing the doors. I have seen churches of ten attendees that thought a church of twenty-five was a large strong congregation. Likewise, the congregation of twenty-five sees the church with an average attendance of fifty as a big church. From the other direction, a church of several thousand would see a church of a few hundred as a small congregation.
Rules have to be established that reach beyond just the numbers to arrive at a fair conclusion about how to handle a small church. While the number of attendees is important, several other factors need to be weighed into the formula. The first area to be considered would be outstanding debt. If the church is debt-free, it can go a lot longer on fewer people because the financial needs are less.
Next, it is a good idea to examine the overall financial health of the church. Is it viable? Can it pay its bills not counting salaries? If a church can no longer support its insurance, utilities, literature, and other type expenses, its survival is highly questionable.
Does the church belong to a fellowship or denomination? If it is an independent church, it is unlikely to have anyone who can come and prime the financial pump. This means if the church is faltering financially, it will be better to close it sooner than later.
If the church has an affiliation with a larger body, the parent church may have reasons beyond the size or financial strength of the church to keep a presence in an area. For example, it may view the church as a mission to an underprivileged area or a special situation like a college or military base. The church may also be seen as a beach head in new field. Keeping it open is the way for the parent church to continue ministry to an area it deems important.
Another important consideration has to do with the relationships within the congregation. Does everyone get along, or is the church a battle zone for territorial Christians? Troubled churches are rarely regarded as salvageable if the number of attendees falls below twenty or so. No one wants to risk losing people who might want to affiliate with a new congregation if the old church is disbanded. So, closing the church can be a way of preserving a fruitful future congregation.
If the property is in bad condition, a small group of twenty or less may be a target for disbanding. Many denominations have far more resources, both money and talent, available for a new work than a struggling existing church. This makes closing the church an attractive option. It is even more likely if the property is in an area where land is expensive. By closing the old church, the building can be razed and a new facility built for a new church. This will change the view of the local citizens toward the church. It will be seen as a new and exciting opportunity to attend and worship with a new congregation in a new facility.
Finally, and this might be better a little higher on the list, is the church actually able to have worship services that others will want to attend, and is it ministering to its community? These are generally considered the two signs that a group of people is a church. Without both of these facets, the group is a club or fraternal organization.
Making a decision to close a church is always difficult. Following the above guidelines can help make the decision a little easier. A group of ten that is financially viable and continues to perform meaningful Christian service should be allowed to stay in business. However, a church of 200 that is disruptive and financial unstable may be better off to disband.
Learn more about this author, Allen Teal.
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No
This is the type of question that could only be asked in a society where the mega-church has become as popular as super-sizing and big-box retail stores. As with everything else in our culture, we equate the value and success of our churches with size. We think that growth is a sign of God's favor and blessing, and that conversely a lack of rapid growth signifies a lack of God's blessing. This is a completely wrong view.
It is true that the first chapters of the Book of Acts tell of very rapid growth in the church, but this occurred as people were hearing the Gospel for the very first time. You can see similar explosive growth anytime the Gospel was proclaimed in areas where it had not been heard before, such as Eastern Europe after fifty years of communist rule. But in Romans 16:3-5, Paul sends greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and the "church that meets at their house." Obviously the Apostle Paul saw no need for a small congregation to disband.
Furthermore, Jesus himself gave us the minimum size for a congregation: two or three. In Matthew 18:20 He said: "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." According to Jesus, a congregation should disband when the membership drops to one. In America, and particularly in the Bible Belt, we have come to think of a congregation of less than one hundred as small. Under this way of thinking hundreds, possibly thousands, of churches would have to close their doors simply because they reside in towns and villages with populations that can't support a church with thousands of members.
A church cannot be judged by its size, but by the heart of its members and their impact on the world. A small congregation gives more opportunity for close fellowship, allows for access to the pastor that is impossible in huge churches, and brings together all age groups in one setting. This last point is critical because in the large churches people are assigned Sunday School or Bible Study classes by age group or marital status or gender. This segregation prevents the intermingling of the excitement and energy of younger or new believers with the wisdom and experience of the senior adults. Singles don't get to hear the problems discussed by married couples in their classes, and thus are surprised when they encounter these same problems after they get married.
I think we should look at this question from the opposite viewpoint: should a church disband when the congregation gets too large? Once a church reaches a membership level that requires spending millions of dollars on a larger building, maybe that congregation should split in half, with one group staying in place and the other moving to another part of the city to minister there. Of course that would mean that we would have no churches with coffee bars, movie theaters, and bowling alleys inside them, but I think we'll survive somehow.
Learn more about this author, Bruno Somerset.
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