Thirty-four years ago, a church was born in Walnut Creek under the leadership of Pastor X. During those years, we faced many challenges, both internally and externally. But by the grace of God, we still exist today. That is why today, we want to thank God for His faithfulness. We say, "Thus far the Lord has helped us, " with Prophet Samuel." (1 Sam 7:12). Unlike other countries like China, Iran, South Korea, and Indonesia, where the annual church growth rate is between 5-6 percent, Christianity in America is declining. The study, which analyzed church data from 34 Protestant denominations and groups, found that 4,500 churches in America closed in 2019, while about 3,000 new congregations were started. That means 86 churches in America close every week. There are many factors why the churches, especially in America and Western countries, are declining. Today I would like to share three challenges that caused the decline:
1. Secularism and liberalism. Secular means having no religious affinities. Liberal means having social and political views favoring progress and reformation, eliminating God and spiritual values. In America, the influence of secularism and liberalism is enormous. They are everywhere. As you see on the screen, only 10% of TV characters represent Conservative Perspective. Most of the TV News is liberal. In education, according to Jerry Bergman Ph.D., a professor for 45 years, the ratio of liberal to conservative professors has profoundly changed from 4 to 1 a few years ago to 17 to 1 today. For four years and more, those professors spend class time indoctrinating students with their views, often leftist or even socialist. As a result, many college students become liberal. They no longer believe in biblical teachings on creationism, sex, marriage, and salvation. They have no interest in attending church services. On Jan 15, 2019, Lifeway Research said, "Most teenagers drop out of church when they become young adults."
Therefore, many churches in America and western countries consist of only the old generation. And as the old generation one by one gone to be with the Lord, there is not enough young generation who replace them. That is why the church attendant is declining and eventually no longer can survive. Some years ago, I took a summer class in the Netherland, and I saw many beautiful churches were empty and had become museums or mosques.
We should win the young generation. Otherwise, the church will continue to decline. But how do we do it? Many Christian parents expect the church to teach their children about God and Christianity. Surely the church should give more attention to rich children and young people. But what can a church do for two hours a week for them? Not much! According to the Bible, it is parents' responsibility to teach their children. Deuteronomy 6:4-9, for example, shows how God commands and gives authority to parents to share their faith with their children. Proverbs 22:6 also says, "Teach your children right from wrong, and when they are grown, they will still do right." (CEV) The problem is many parents do not realize or know that it is their responsibility to teach their children about God and the right things. So, the church should teach and help parents raise their children in the Lord. Parents should spend more time talking with their children, praying for them and with them, and guiding them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When our children have a personal relationship with God, 'when they are grown, they will still do right."
2. Immorality. This relates to the previous challenge. When we do not put God in the center of our lives, we won't care about what the Bible teaches about morality. The churches in America and western countries face this challenge. Some time ago, when I shared this concern at a meeting, a pastor replied, "This is not new. In the biblical times, there was already immorality." He was right. Sexual sins have always been a challenge for God's people since biblical times. But there is something different in the 21st century. For thousands of years, most societies have viewed marriage as between one man and one woman. In the past, most people committed sexual sins secretly. Society couldn't accept adultery. The church called sexual relationships out of marriage sin.
But today, 30 countries legalize same-sex marriage. Every year more people support it. Most millennials or Generation Y (born between 1981 and 1996) and Z Generation (born between 1997 and 2012) support it. Many churches in America even perform a same-sex marriage. Living together without marriage, polyamory (the practice of engaging in multiple romantic relationships, with the consent of all the people involved), and open marriage (a marriage in which both partners agree that each may have sexual relations with others) have been widely accepted. As a result, evangelical churches that remain faithful to biblical teachings on sexuality and the definition of marriage are called haters, intolerant, homophobic, or transphobic people and face the risk of attack, even persecutions. Gradually, these remnants of the church who remain faithful to God and His word become smaller because "in the last days … people will be lovers of themselves, …, unholy, …, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, …, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (1 Timothy 3:1-4).
Seeing the challenge of immorality, I wrote a book about homosexuality from scientific and biblical views to help church leaders/pastors in my home country to understand biblical teachings on sexuality and what scientists (neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors) find about factors that contribute to homosexuality. In the book and seminars that I lead, I also share how to minister to those with the issue biblically and scientifically. By God's blessing, thousands of pastors, youth ministers, and parents have joined my seminars on God's purposes for human sexuality, homosexuality, and the danger of pornography. This shows that they want to learn and be equipped. Therefore, the church should not be reluctant to teach their members, especially the young generation, biblical sexuality so that they may not learn it from the world or go with the flow of the world.
3. Technology. During the pandemic, many churches were closed. We thank God for the technology of communication like Zoom and YouTube that can help them have the services online. An article wrote the majority of pastors (96%) report their churches have been streaming their worship services online during the pandemic. By placing services online, churches have made worship more accessible than ever. Ex-church members who moved to other countries can now join the online service.
But this online service has made some Christians not want to go back to in-person service when their churches are opened again. They have been so comfortable having the service at their homes; that they don't need to drive to church. They can sit on the sofa, drinking coffee, and still wear their pajamas. If they don't like the sermon, they can join another online service.
According to the latest research from LifeWay Research in early March, more than 9 in 10 Protestant houses of worship in the U.S. (97%) are now meeting in person. But around 25% of pre-pandemic Protestant churchgoers have yet to return to in-person worship. Probably, they won't return anymore. So, on the one hand, technology is helpful, but on the other hand, it can change the way we do the service. Some of you may have heard about Metaverse, which is being developed by many giant companies like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook (now 'Meta').
Brian X. Chen explains the Metaverse is the convergence of two ideas that have been around for many years: virtual reality and digital second life. For decades, technologists have dreamed of an era when our virtual lives play as important a role as our physical realities. In theory, we would interact with our friends and colleagues in a virtual space. As a result, we would spend money there on outfits and objects for our digital avatars. You wear a headset that immerses you in a 3-D environment in virtual reality. You carry motion-sensing controllers to interact with virtual objects and use a microphone to communicate with others.
This new technology brings a new challenge for the church. Gradually, more people, especially the young generation, will use Metaverse. As a result, more Christians will feel they don't need to attend in-person services anymore. The question is should the church use this technology? There are a couple of churches that already embrace it. One of them is "VR Church." On their homepage, they say, "VR Church is a spiritual community which exists entirely in the Metaverse to celebrate God's love for the world. We believe the church can be anywhere at any time with anyone even in the Metaverse. The Metaverse is an immersive virtual reality experience where we can work, socialize, and even go to church." What do you think? Can we call a metaverse church a fellowship of believers where the members may never have direct contact or meet? This is a challenge that the church needs to address. Having shared those challenges, we should not be pessimistic because we believe in what Jesus, the Head of the Church, states in Matthew 16:18 - "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." May God help our church and other God's churches be able to face those challenges. Amen!
