Every era of Christianity faces fresh challenges. The early church faced near extinction from constant persecution and skepticism from the general culture. Some historians consider it a miracle that Christianity survived the first hundred years. Then heresy was a constant battle as false teachers gained popularity preaching Docetism, Arianism, and the like. Throughout the Middle Ages, syncretism was a slow cancer, blending false religions and cultural ideas with Christianity so that the core remnants of the Bible were diluted.
Every generation of pastors lament apathy, quarreling, and idolatry amongst their congregants. The apostle John foresaw these challenges when he wrote letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor, which many scholars interpret as representative warnings to churches throughout every generation.
I believe the church today, in America, is facing three unique challenges. Below, I will explain the concerns I have and propose solutions for those who wish to take action.
The Exodus: Young Adults Leaving the Church
Christianity in America is under steady decline. Nobody refutes this statement - Gallup, Pew Research, Barna - they all report the same trends. America is becoming more secular, pluralistic, and post-Christian year by year. And those under age 30 are spearheading the decline.This is a missions moment for churches. From East coast to West coast, every church ought to be in the fight to win the hearts of young adults. Reader, don’t feel alarmed or guilty about the statistics. Instead, feel responsible. Empowered. Energized to reach this generation with the gospel.
In order to woo the Millennial, Gen-Z, and Alpha generations, many churches will need to change their approach. I suggest two: conversational evangelism and prioritizing young adults everywhere.
In the Fall of 2022, I facilitated a small cohort of unchurched adults. Thirteen 21-35 year olds, from various religious background, met with me for over a month. They allowed me to pepper them with questions. We had a blast talking about faith, Jesus, the bible, and the organized church. In the end, every one of them felt more likely to visit a church or engage with a believer. This is an example of conversational evangelism.
A second step churches can take is prioritizing young adults. This age group requires an unfair advantage of funding and communication. Make it obvious to young adults that you have them in mind. Target them in all of your communication, whether that be bulletins, social media, or events. Be mindful of how young people feel in your services, including the lobby and the way people dress on stage. Everyone leading a ministry ought to be wondering What are we doing to attract and keep young adults?
The Internal Battle: Women in Ministry
Fifteen years ago, when I was leaving bible school looking for a church job, everyone wanted to know how you interpreted Genesis 1-3. Are you young earth or old earth? Today, most churches never even ask candidating pastors for their views of creation. But they all ask about women in ministry.Culturally, women’s rights are on the forefront. From Equal Pay Day to women in politics, our society is becoming more aware of the impact women can make. The church is matching that energy with fresh debates about complementarianism and egalitarianism.
This internal battle has blown up in the Southern Baptist Convention, especially over Saddleback Church’s decision to hire a female teaching pastor. And the fight isn’t only with the Baptists. Many Presbyterians churches have severed from their assemblies to join the Evangelical Covenant Order (ECO) over women’s roles. The Christian Missionary Alliance recently voted to ordain women, but only passed the vote by 60%. Other denominations are taking harder stances on complementarian views.
As an egalitarian myself, I would love to see more churches open up serving opportunities for women, especially in leadership and preaching. But if your convictions pull you to the complementarian side of the spectrum, at least consider how to platform women more and utilize their spiritual gifts. Perhaps your elder or deacon board would benefit from an advisory team of mixed men and women. Or perhaps women could be interviewed regularly from the stage, as an alternative to preaching, in order to share their perspectives. At best, work to get more women on your church staff in leadership roles so that you have women’s voices on the leadership team and female staff for discipling women in your church.
The Culture War: LGBTQ Culture
Some churches and denominations are battling over gender issues. Our Methodist friends are in the spotlight now, but this is a national conversation. Even conservative churches that maintain a biblical stance on sexuality are having to figure out what to do with LGBTQ individuals who attend. This is a fantastic problem! If you have transgender or same-sex attracted people coming to your church, praise God for them.The critical question churches need to answer is this: How can we be welcoming, but not affirming? As an Evangelical, I teach that marriage is covenantal, monogamous, and heterosexual, and that one’s biological sex is God-given. Unfortunately, this framework does not match with everyone’s natural desires. Some wrestle in agony with same sex attraction or gender dysphoria.
The best way to be welcoming but not affirming of the LGBTQ community is to show love and acceptance without compromising the truth of Scripture. James Emery White teaches four levels of tolerance: Social Tolerance (respect), Relational Tolerance (friendship), Legal Tolerance (acceptance of laws against discrimination), and Intellectual Tolerance (affirming the LGBTQ lifestyle as a good and valid lifestyle). Dr. White tells us that believers must show respect, offer friendship, and avoid discrimination; however, we cannot engage in intellectual tolerance.