Posted on 07/05/2009 7:18:08 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Offering a new perspective on the reality of aging denominations, The United Methodist Church studied the death rates of Methodists and the general American population and found that the church is dying faster.
The death rates for members of the nearly 8 million-member denomination are about a third higher than the national average, according to the "Pockets of 'Youthfulness' in an Aging Denomination" report.
In 2005, the United Methodist death rate was 134 percent of the U.S. death rate among those 15 years and older.
Among UMC's 62 annual conferences, or regional bodies, in the United States, 34 of them (representing 41 percent of UMC membership) reported death rates 20 percent or higher than their general population.
"There is no future for The United Methodist Church in the United States unless we can learn to reach more people, younger people and more diverse people,” said the Rev. Lovett Weems, director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, which compiled the report, as reported by the United Methodist News Service.
The graying and declining membership has led to numerous multi-million dollar ad campaigns in an effort to reach more people, particularly young ones.
"Rethink Church" is the United Methodist Church's newest campaign targeting 19- to 34-year-olds who may not be familiar with the church or who are seeking to make their lives more meaningful.
More than $20 million in ads are being launched over the next four years.
"Reaching new populations – which tend to be younger and more diverse than traditional United Methodist constituents – needs to be a high priority," Weems told UMNS.
According to the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, members in mainline denominations were younger than the general U.S. population in the 1960s. But over the last several decades, membership has continuously grown older.
While death rates may not be exact indicators of age, the Center – which set out to examine age trends in the United Methodist Church – pointed out that they do help show patterns that should correspond generally to age, considering that 75 percent of deaths in recent years occurred among people aged 65 and older.
The Lewis Center recommends that United Methodist churches not only reach new populations, but also begin new congregations as they tend to reach younger people at a higher rate than existing churches.
"Rethink Church" is the United Methodist Church's newest campaign targeting 19- to 34-year-olds who may not be familiar with the church or who are seeking to make their lives more meaningful.
Doomed. Because it's not about making anybody's life "more meaningful". It's about losing it.
Screw the programs and the "rethinking" in the same old new way. Without gimmicks, without powerpoint or movie clips or any other seduction of the culture, preach the law in it's full condemning strength. Then preach the gospel -- Jesus dying for sin and rising on the third day.
Big religion is like Big Government.. They want you to be dependent on them for Life.
Then, at a neighborhood restaurant where my sisters were dining, the booth behind them was seated a man and the new female minister of the church. The minister and her male lunch partner were discussing myself and my family being heathens and how we needed to be spiritually 'saved" My sisters called me up and I in turn called the minister and informed her that gossip is a sin and how dare they discuss myself and my family in a public forum.
I have a friend who recently left the Catholic church for the Methodist....I think for the church socials.
Whenever a liberal minister talks about Jesus’ forgiving people’s sins, I remind him(her) that Jesus said “Go ye, and sin no more.”. He did not say “Party on! Dude!”.
A move about every 3 years is the complaint I have heard from our friends. Just about the time they have sorted out the pastor flock relationship and are functioning well, bam they switch them out. I would not like it either.
Instead of worrrying about age/diversity and other demographic factors, how about UMC looks at how they are appealing to souls? How they are ‘selling’ faith in Christ?
Guess ‘our hearts, our minds, and our doors are always open’ didn’t work? Frankly, I thought it was a smack to traditional Christians and an ‘open’ invitation to building its ‘gay’ community.
We’d go to pre-service discussion groups at our local UMC church/community center; the liberal bent drove me out real fast. There was almost a physical ‘looking down the nose’ at anyone who didn’t go along with the current liberal pap. That particular church was quite conservative until about 10 years ago when it and the ‘hood turned almost on a dime. Sad.
We left the Episcopal Church for a Continuing Traditional Anglican Church when our children were young. They are both adults now. We were members of a cathedral in a large city. Homosexuals were beginning to make their presence known. When we left homosexual behavior during the sign of peace at evening prayer was being referred to as the “grope of peace”. It was just not a place to raise children.
I have been happy where we are, but I miss the music. :)
Are they dying or leaving.
They need to check out the Catholic Church.
*8It’s not just the membership declining. We have 2 friends who were ministers who have left. Through them I have met 3 others who have also left.
No crisis of faith on their part, plain unhappiness with the governance and direction the church is taking.**
When the ministers start leaving like this, a denomination is in big trouble.
Next thing you know the otherwise mamby-pamby, take no strong positions Methodist church had become the "say nothing, be nothing" church.
Yup, they were better off before improved retirement opportunities for the clergy. At least there was turnover.
I “re-thought church” by leaving the UMC after actually hearing and believing the gospel and realizing where I hadn’t been hearing it for the previous 27 yrs. That was 17 years ago now.
I stuck it out for a little while, but when she admittedly prepared her post New Year's sermon from Time Magazine, that was the last straw. Haven't been back since. Whatever happened to preparing sermons from the Bible? What's next - a sermon prepared from the Communist Manifesto?
RIP UMC
It’s interesting that those denominations that tried to be more progressive, liberal and ‘relevant’, in order to attract young people, have done exactly the opposite. The young who are yearning for religion are taking a look at the liberal churches and rejecting them for churches with more real religion, which are, ironically, less liberal.
Nah, all they have to do is make God hip and church cool. Yeah, that will do it. Like that isn’t what every other mega-church on every corner is already doing.
God’s truth is what brings people to church; not the rock bands or the puppet shows.
Thanks for the ping. It is an aging denomination, but in those areas proclaiming Jesus and making disciples for Jesus Christ there are churches bursting at the seams.
Surprisingly, the majority of the elderly congregations are in small towns and villages around America in places that one would consider the bible belt. It is not denominational shenanigans of our gradually defeated liberals that causes them to age. It is their absolute unwillingness to step out and tell others about Jesus.
A potluck is not an evangelistic campaign.
Where we’re right we’re very, very right, but where we’re wrong we’re in a coma.
“Whatever happened to preparing sermons from the Bible?”
According to the Bible, women are not to be preaching in the first place. - 1 Timothy 2:12
Ditto! I go to a Lutheran Church now - that is NOT liberal.
Christians YEARN for teaching that is clear about right and wrong, about good and evil, about holiness and reprobation, and about Man’s need for a Savior. The so-called “mainline denominations” have abandoned that for a social gospel. They fail to realize that love without Christ is really no love at all. If you want the youth to return to church, then pray for revival, submit your body of believers to the Holy Spirit and teach correct doctrine no matter the cost.
Count me among your list of pastors who have left the flock. I was 15 years in the conference as an elder. Opposition to my ministry by homosexuals in position of authority hastened my departure.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.