So What Faith

Greg Smith

My Religion Is Dying: 62 Posts on Mainline Protestant Decline (#2331)

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For as long as I can remember, people in my religious tradition have been talking about decline. When I was a child, Mainline Protestantism was still a major force in American religious life. Today, many of its congregations have a much smaller membership comprised of people who are significantly older than the general population. Now, nearly everyone is wondering what the future holds.

This is personal. I have spent my entire life inside this tradition. I grew up, was confirmed, and received a call to ministry in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Since then I have served eleven congregations affiliated with four Mainline denominations:  Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Presbyterian Church (USA), and United Church of Christ (UCC). I have also served a faith-based non-profit that was founded by a United Methodist congregation, and I was married in an Episcopal church.

Congregations Greg Smith Has Served in Texas and Florida

Background

Mainline decline has been a topic I’ve explored many times here on So What Faith since I started this blog back in 2009. Two years ago I sought to bring all of that into a single place with My Religion is Dying: A Deep Dive into Mainline Decline.

Now, two years later, I’m back with an update that features 12 new posts.

Taken together, these 62 posts trace several recurring themes:

  • long-term membership decline across all Mainline denominations,
  • rapidly aging congregations,
  • shrinking average congregation size and average worship attendance,
  • geographical and denominational differences in decline,
  • and the growing challenge of sustaining buildings and ministry structures designed for a different era.

The picture is sobering, but it is also more nuanced than what popular media often portrays. Some denominations are declining more slowly than others, some congregations are adapting creatively, and new models of ministry are emerging as older ones fade.

I invite you to bookmark this post and to return from time to time. The sections – Mainline, Books, and Denominations – offer an easy way to work through such a large volume of links. And, to simplify for those interested in their denomination, the denominational subsections are listed alphabetically: Episcopal, Lutheran (ELCA), Presbyterian (PCUSA), and United Church of Christ.

Mainline

New Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (photo by Greg Smith)

Books

Episcopal (TEC)

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Denton, Texas (photo by Greg Smith)

Lutheran (ELCA)

Our Lord’s Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (photo by Greg Smith)

Presbyterian (PCUSA)

West Fork Presbyterian Church in Grand Prairie, Texas (photo by Greg Smith)

United Church of Christ

Round Grove United Church of Christ in Lewisville, Texas (photo by Greg Smith)

So What?

I did not assemble this collection because I enjoy documenting institutional decline. I crafted it because I care deeply about the tradition that formed me and continues to shape my faith, ministry, and vocation. Understanding where Mainline Protestantism has been and where it is today is foundational to discerning where God may be calling us next.

Over the last two decades, I’ve written about declining membership, aging congregations, church closures, changing patterns of religious affiliation, and the broader cultural shifts reshaping American Christianity with an emphasis on how these trends impact Mainline Protestantism. While each post examines a different piece of the puzzle, together they tell a larger story. The challenges facing Mainline Protestantism are neither isolated or temporary. They are profound, interconnected, and multi-generational.

At the same time, I remain convinced that decline is not the whole story. Institutions can shrink while faith remains vibrant. Congregations can become smaller while growing more faithful, more courageous, and more committed. Sometimes death must occur for resurrection to become possible.

My hope is that these posts do more than document what has been lost. I hope they help readers better understand the realities we face, ask more honest questions, challenge long-held assumptions, and imagine new possibilities for ministry in a rapidly changing world.

If this collection encourages even a few followers of the Way of Jesus to engage these issues with greater honesty, curiosity, and hope, then it has served its purpose.

Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas (photo by Greg Smith)