Barnabas File

The church in North America is in decline.  This was the trend before pandemic, political polarization in congregations, and division over social issues.  Those events have only accelerated that decline.  In recent days, two excellent articles based on good research addressed both the reality of a  mass exodus  and  why people are leaving . So, what does that mean for us?   The church as an institution is caught in a tsunami of cultural, social, and demographic forces—all of which seem to be peaking at one time.  The interesting point is that this comes as a surprise to many church leaders and adherents of the faith.  If we are realistic, this crisis is a natural consequence of the way that we have done church for over half a century.  I know because I have lived through it.   The Church (big C—the Church Universal) has continued to thrive over two thousand years because of its ability to build on two k...