I like to go down roads I have never been down before, although the price of gas has curtailed that practice somewhat. But sometimes I just cannot resist. One such trip brought me upon a church out in the country. It was a pleasant looking place on that early Tuesday morning. Quite small, really, but well kept up. The grass was cut, the bushes trimmed, the flowers healthy and the building itself was well painted and trimmed. A little country church down a one lane road.

        Yet something was wrong. I couldn't place it at first as I slowly drove up to it. I stopped at the front of the church to read the sign, but there was no lettering on the sign. That seemed a little strange for such a well cared for building. I looked at the wide yard to the side of the church and imagined children playing there. And then I realized what was wrong.

        There was no parking lot, no driveway. The grass in that wide yard was a little bit paler than the surrounding grass. The nearest home was a good half mile away, so the congregation didn't walk. The road was just a wee bit wider than my car, so people were not parking on the road. The paler grass had once been the parking lot. The church was closed, but someone, probably a former member, was taking care of the building and grounds. It was a sad realization.

        We all know of places like that, places that once had life but now do not. We tend to make excuses for this situation. People moved away, some just quit going or started going elsewhere, people are just losing interest. The common thing to say is that it is happening everywhere. But this does not answer the question of why? Why is this happening? Has the world really given up on Jesus?

        Actually, religion has given up on Jesus and this has driven people away. There is a reason why non-denominational churches are growing and the so called mainline denominational churches are floundering, and it has nothing to do with music or donuts and coffee before church. Churches sit out in the country abandoned because their denominations have abandoned the Word of God. It really is that simple.

        There are seven denominations that make up the 'mainline denominations.' These used to be called the 'seven sisters,' although I haven't heard that phrase in a long while. But the seven sisters are the American Baptist Churches, the United Methodist Church, the Episcopalians, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church USA and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Almost everyone is familiar with one or more of these denominations. What is not as well known is that five of these mainline denominations plus four other non-mainline denominations are in the slow but steady process of merging into a single denomination. But will it help them?

        Four of the mainline denominations were formed by uniting several denominations together. That might sound like a good idea, but in order to do that you have to take the different beliefs and set them aside. Once you have done that it is easy to drop beliefs, including Biblical beliefs, to make everyone happy. However, Christianity is not about making everyone happy. It is about bringing people to Jesus. There is a saying; The world used to reflect the beliefs of the church. Now, the church reflects the belief of the world.

        People leave the seven sisters for one reason, and it is not any of the ones listed above. No one likes to be a part of massive hypocrisy, and that is what the seven sisters represent. Every one of the sisters support abortion to some degree. Every one supports the homosexual lifestyle to some degree. Every one supports a liberal political agenda. The list goes on. As one pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) told me, "We want to be all inclusive!" 

        How has that worked out these past twenty years?

        The American Baptist Churches has declined by 21%. The United Methodist Church has declined by 24%, and that will skyrocket in the next two years as churches exercise their once in a lifetime opportunity to pull out with their property. The Episcopalians have declined by 32%. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America has dropped 38%. The United Church of Christ is down by 43%. The Presbyterian Church USA has gone down by 50% and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has declined by 57%. This is not something new, either. The decline has been going on for decades. Now, however, it is accelerating.

        Please, please, please do not be dismayed when you see a dead or dying church out there in the countryside. There is life and there is growth and the Holy Spirit still has free reign!