Why I Quit Church!
3 Feb2009
Ken Wetmore, a Seventh Day Adventist pastor in Spokane, has launched the WhyIQuitChurch.com campaign. The site features a simple survey where people can explain their church background and why they’ve stopped attending. Over the past few years, I have experienced my own disillusionment as a Christian, and a “church-goer”. I’m curious as to why people quit church…and why most people are unlikely to even set foot in the front door. If committed Christians, like myself, are giving up on “church”, what is behind such motivation? Perhaps we need to re-examine how we “do” church? Or are there other aspects that are impacting upon people’s choices to attend or not?
Check out the aggragate results so far:
54.40% Was turned off by the attitudes/behaviors of members of the group
40.95% No longer believed in the doctrines/teachings of the group
36.06% The credibility of the ledership discouraged me
33.17% Other
27.89% It didn’t meet my needs
19.10% No longer believed in God
18.09% Something happend and I no longer felt comfortable
17.34% I was specifically hurt/offended by a person within the group
16.96% Got busy and gradually quit going
7.91% I relocated and lost connections
2.51% Moved to a community where my religious group did not meet
whyiquitchurch
For many, these results will be of no surprise. You, like me, have experienced exactly the same, and could probably tick more than one box on the survey, while adding a fair few additional comments. While there are many aspects that contribute to why a person decides to “Quit Church” in the long run, we need to take seriously the growing trends behind the surge of church leavers. To seriously address the growing disillusionment among Christians and non-belivers with the “church community”.
I have to say that so far, this has been my only experience of someone bothering to find out in detail why many people quit church. Perhaps that is a reflection on the growing apathy, and blindness of many a church leadership team. What strikes me most in terms of these survey results, is that most people who answered the question were REGULAR/WEEKLY church goers. Surely, if committed Christians are leaving the church, we need to do some serious soul searching, and finally begin to face our own negligence and lack of living according the the love of Christ! As a church – do we truly love as Christ?? If the majority of people leave the church because they are turned off by the attitudes and behaviour of other members, we maybe need to reassess how we see Jesus, understand the gospel message and how we translate that into every day life?!
Check out this post by a friend about the challenge of loving like Christ - “Choose Love” by Ryan “Brown” Dalton
Related posts:
- In: Uncategorized
- Tags: Church, Jesus Christ, love, Ryan Dalton
4 Responses to Why I Quit Church!
BROWN
February 4th, 2009 at 7:02 am
You blogged whats on my mind!! I have spoken in a few churches over the past year where i specifically spoke on the topic of the “church being irrelevant, most especially for young people”. I don’t think it HAS to be and it definitely SHOULDN’T be, but the sad fact is, in many places in the world, the church is failing to play its role in the lives of those who need it the most! anyways, have you read the book “UNChristian” by David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons? if you haven’t you need to go out an dbuy it today! It was a intensive qualittative and quantitative research study done about people’s views of the church. it is VERY insightful!!!!!
sonelta
February 4th, 2009 at 9:45 am
I’m in my 30’s and struggle with church, I hate to think what it’s like for younger people! As a Christian, I now walk into church and feel unwelcome, no sense of fellowship. I had one experience recently where it was so bad I left before the end of the service (and this was in a church where I know people!) Thanks for the recommendation – I will be getting my hands on that one. I have heard of it before but didn’t know quite what it’s about.
Cashio
February 24th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
The traditional church makes me cringe. What people have made of “church” today makes the Pharisees look holy. Instead of long tassels people wear name brands. Instead of long prayers in public you get a concert and light show. Yes, there are a few out there that have good intentions and even do have real relationships growing, but that is rare today. The church needs an overhaul. Why do we do the things we do? Why meet in a building, sing a few songs, hear a person give a sermon, walk the aisle if needed, and then leave? Is this what Christ called the church?
DRLopez
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:31 am
I was born and raised in the SDA church. I dropped it completely when I read about EGW and her plagiarism and having others write for her, then saying God inspired/told/angel told her. When I read those things I had started reading the NT. I bought a Strongs Bible concordance and picking words like Sabbath, tithe, covenants I read what the Bible had to say about all of them. In my study I found out about Jesus Sabbath rest and that the Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a reminder that God took them out of slavery in Egypt and that God gave it to them as an everlasting covenant. I found the truth about tithing and that not everyone paid tithe.
I learned a lot from the Bible and continue to study it.
I am no longer SDA. I go to a lovely non denominational church in my area where only the Bible is preached.
I have also learned that God’s church is not a denomination. It is the group of people who love Jesus and by faith follow Him. It is all about Jesus Christ.