Looking into the Future: The Top 10 Changes for the American Church
4. Congregational/Local is Primary
Gone are the days when loyalty to denomination is common.
The mentality of yesteryear was that a loyal parishioner of First United Methodist in one town would join another United Methodist congregation when that person relocated for a new job or retirement. Today when a faithful participant of one local body of believers moves to a new town, that individual is likely to visit several churches before selecting a new spiritual home. The visits are likely to be several in number and the choices not selected primarily because of denominational affiliation.
Today people seeking a church home are not thinking primarily about denominational affiliation, but rather the ministry and mission of a given local church. The search focuses on finding a local faith community that is genuine about striving to be and to become what their mission statement proclaims. Additionally, niche ministries, such as social justice or youth ministry, have replaced denomination as important considerations. Some young people are actually repelled by congregations that are overly aligned with a top-down style denomination.
So What?
The membership of mainline denominations has been in decline for years. In general, these bodies have the power to set rules and standards from the top-down and to make decisions on a national level that impact how individual congregations must act on the local level. In contrast, many of the churches that are independent or non-denominational have grown. Additionally, many congregations in denominations that have limited or no top-down power have also grown.
The good news for all denominational and non-denominational churches alike is that ministry and mission matter far more than denominational affiliation or non-affiliation.
How committed is your congregation to living into its mission? to focusing on ministry? to emphasizing the local (as the primary decision making entity) and not becoming overly engaged in the national (and the politics associated with denominationalism)?
Note: A local congregation may flourish with or without a strong denominational identity. The shift is focused on the increasingly importance of decision making and ministry on the local level or chosen by the local congregation and done on a national or global scale (rather than chosen at the national level to be done on the local level).