Why Are Boomers Leaving the Church?
Why Are Boomers Leaving the Church?
I’m a Boomer. That means I was born between the years of 1946 to 1964. To be exact: 1956, which makes me 66 today. Many Boomers came to faith in the 1970’s when there was a strong spiritual movement in the country. But now, 40-50 years later, after years of faithful commitment to God and church, many Boomers are leaving the church.
Boomers Are Leaving the Church
In a recent article in Christianity Today called, The Church is Losing Its Gray Heads, Adam McCinnis looked at research from the Barna Institute. He noted that…
…according to Barna, some of the biggest declines in church attendance over the past three decades have been among adults 55 and older.
From a study in 2011, Barna Research said that Boomers are now:
…the generation most likely to be unchurched…
So, what’s up with that? Why are these longtime faithful Christians opting out of church?
There are probably many reasons for this decline. Being in this age group myself I can relate to the temptations to abandon the church. I’d like to offer my suspicions as to why Boomers are leaving the Church.
Why Boomers Are Leaving the Church
1. Failed church experiences.
If you’ve been in the church for most of your life, you probably have at least one, if not many, failed church experiences. After a while it’s easy to ask, “Is it worth it to try again, only to be disappointed again? I have my network of Christian friends. Maybe that’s enough.”
In an article in the Baptist General News, Bill Wilson, founder and director of the Center for Healthy Churches said of Boomers:
They are tired of the church games and the church drama. They have had enough of that. They want to do something that emphasizes the good news of the gospel. And if you can’t provide that, they will find someplace that will.
2. Their children left the church.
Boomers were promised that if they trained up their children in the Lord, they wouldn’t depart from the faith, ala Bill Gothard. Well, they learned that this isn’t necessarily true. Many of their kids have left the church and some Boomers blame the church for it.
3. Their politics don't align with their fellow believers.
Some Boomers wrongly assumed that all Bible believing Christians vote for the same person, right? But over the last few years they realized that not everyone sees things the same way and this reality was too much for them to bear. Some left their church in protest to join another, but when they lost their longtime community, they lost interest in church altogether.
4. They changed their view on scripture.
Many Boomers were taught the Bible in very black and white terms. There was no discussion. Trust and obey. As they matured, they realized that things aren’t so simple. This caused them to become disillusioned and skeptical of church leadership and the things being taught with certitude. They don’t want to be told how to think or hold to a party line.
5. They moved away from their home church.
Many boomers, myself included, move to be near family upon retirement. With that change, it’s often hard to find a new church community that works. So faith becomes more personal and less communal. It’s easy to spend time with your family and neighbors instead of finding a new church family.
6. They want to use their money and talents in a way that makes a bigger impact than at church.
Boomers have acquired both skills and money through the years. They have made an impact in the business world. But when they go to church they don’t always see how they can make a similar impact. Only in small ways. The church experience is often reduced to a meeting on Sunday and maybe a midweek study. In our busy world it’s easy to determine that it’s not worth the time invested.
Plus, after years of investing in a church and seeing no significant impact in the community, it’s easy for boomers to ask: Why volunteer in the nursery when I can consult with local non-profits that are truly making a difference in this community? Why give to a church building campaign when I can pay for a water well in a remote village?
Again, quoting Bill Wilson…
Boomers will leave congregations that fail to provide them with meaningful ministry experiences. It is not enough to have good programs and beautiful facilities to keep Boomers in their seats after retirement.
7. The church conflicts with their personal views on social issues.
Three issues that are game-changers for Boomers today are abortion, social justice, and human sexuality. These topics cut both ways. Some churches are seen as too liberal and some, too conservative. But the feelings are strong enough to cause people to give up on their church if they can’t agree.
If a person has suffered from all seven of the above, it’s not hard to see why they might decide to give up on church.
Soul Searching Is Required
It’s sad to see churches lose so many people who could be making a difference in their church. Sometimes the loss is the fault of the church. Sometimes it’s the fault of the people who leave. But every church should be doing some deep reflection right now on what they can do to become relevant to recapture these Boomers. Some soul-searching is in order.
What Will Bring Boomers Back To Church?
I hope to answer this in more depth in another post. But I think you can look at the seven reasons for leaving above and reverse engineer them. If I was pastoring today I would actively seek out the Boomers to invite them to invest their time and money into ministries that had a high impact in the lives of people in the church and the community. And I would work hard to create a culture of love and respect so we could work together for God’s kingdom in spite of our differences.
If you’ve left the church, I’d love to hear back your reason and what might cause you to return.
Related Post: Is Church Worth Your Time?
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