Featured Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 11 Things I Learned

Well that is your opinion. Other people may focus on other things than you.

 

My thoughts would add a reason we have dying churches.

We are told to and make disciples, not build churches. Bear with me here. Of course if we make disciples we will build churches. But the purpose is different.

If we go to make disciples our first step is seeing folks saved.

But if we go to build churches our first step is getting people to be part of the church.

Saved people will form or grow churches. But churches CAN grow by admitting the unsaved into membership. Not good at all.

 

the Primitive Baptist church I was a member of, in Maryland, was started in the mid-1700's, at a location about some miles from its current one.
It moved to the current location before the Civil War, and has stayed in that location since.
It has grown, it has decreased, grown again, decreased again, grown again.
it recently lost two of its deacons, and since we joined, we've seen over 10 people pass on to glory.
yet it is beginning to grow again, in the same spot where the Doctrine of Grace has been preached Sunday after Sunday, week after week, for over three centuries.
On the other hand, some Primitive Baptist churches in the South folded up because of the depression which was just last century, and some of its members migrated to California and formed churches there, to which the Lord has been adding and subtracting members over the years, but they are there.
The church I go to now, in Fremont, is made up of mostly descendants of Texans who moved West.
If the Lord owns the church, then He will decide whether it goes on, or dies.
That's the long and short of it.
No autopsying required.

 

Luke 13:1-5

 

Not suggesting anything. Pointing out that there is no corporate judgment until His return to bring it on the Earth.

 

From what I recall, there is in Jersey City the oldest congregation in the country, formed around the 1600's. I don't know if they're still meeting regularly, though.
They are a combination of Reformed/Presbyterian.
It's called the Bergen Church, or something.
Never been there, though.
There was the largest PB church last century in the country (I think).
It's in Hopewell (?).

 

Churches are only as good as the people seek God and seek to do His will. a few years ago I was asked to help turn a church around. Once I got there I realized they were not serious enough to do the tough things. Within a few months I left and within a few weeks the church attendance dropped 75%. A few weeks later the church was closed and put up for sale.

The good thing is that the bad folks moved to a church that was all about itself. The good people went to a good church and started working. One of the members is a pastors son and he turned out to be an imposter. He became friends with the main troublemaker and eventually posted on his blog that God does not exist. For a few weeks I met with him and it seemed like he failed miserably to be teachable. For years I have required leaders in the church to be making disciples and leading a team. I have found that separates the noise makers form those who actually reach people.