When faithful believers leave the pews.

At Prophecy Today UK we have become aware of a seemingly growing number of Bible-believing Christians in Britain retreating to the outskirts of formal/traditional expressions of church, or opting out altogether. This is an altogether different trend to the ‘falling away’ of nominal believers, representing instead mature, committed Christians acting in good faith and conscience. In August/September 2018 we circulated a survey through both Prophecy Today and Issachar Ministries to learn more.

We were pleased at the response we received, yielding 162 finished surveys and over 250 expressions of interest.

There are caveats; for instance, the sample was not representative and so we cannot make general statements about national or denominational trends. However, as a preliminary piece of research it is proving extremely helpful for our internal discussions and strategy, and we can share a number of findings at this stage in which you may take interest.

Key Findings

The survey asked participants about their historic church attendance, their journey ‘out’ of church, their current position and their pastoral needs. Aware that individual patterns of church attendance/belonging are complex, we tried to give as much space as possible within the survey for participants to describe their journeys.

Past church experience

We found that 62% of church moves made by survey participants during the course of their adult lifetimes were on grounds of conscience (i.e. some kind of disagreement or concern), while 37% were practical (e.g. job or house move), 1% involving elements of both. When we looked only at each participant’s most recent church, the percentage leaving on grounds of conscience rose to 84%.

Of those leaving their churches on grounds of conscience, the most common complaint was of ‘spiritual concerns’ in the fellowship, followed by pastoral disagreements, then disagreements over fundamental doctrine.

At Prophecy Today UK we have become aware of a seemingly growing number of Bible-believing Christians in Britain retreating to the outskirts of formal/traditional expressions of church, or opting out altogether.

Stereotypical connections were made between certain problems and specific denominations: e.g. CofE, Methodist and URC churches were commonly associated with spiritual dryness, while charismatic and Pentecostal churches were often associated with worldliness and consumerism.

However, issues such as LGBTQ+ affirmation and problems stemming from the Toronto ‘Blessing’/the ‘prophetic’ movement in the USA, also errant theologies like dominionism and liberal theology, are spilling out across denominational boundaries. In particular, both Baptist churches and CofE churches stood out in our survey as being ‘blown about by every wind of doctrine’.

Current Position

More than 1 in 4 (28%) participants said that they cannot find a sound, biblical church in their area. Many highlighted the difficulty of finding a fellowship that declares the whole council of God, including the place of Israel, with relevance to the issues of the day.

1 in 4 cross the threshold of a mainstream church occasionally – whether still committed but deeply unhappy, or on the fringes/occasionally attending but not committed.

Happily, we found that the majority of participants (87%) enjoy fellowship with like-minded believers in other contexts (e.g. prayer groups, home fellowships, regional meetings). However, most did not consider their present situation to be satisfactory and there was a near-universal cry for more and deeper fellowship.

1 in 5 (21%) effectively feel cut off from like-minded believers, fellowshipping only with their spouses, or online, or considering themselves totally isolated.

Emotions and Attitudes

Just as people’s journeys ‘out of church’ are complex, so their emotional reactions are also complex. However, across all the participants, some emotional responses were particularly prevalent:

• Reaction against structure and authority: Looser, Hebraic forms of fellowship were stressed. Some participants concluded that all kinds of church structure and pastoral authority are unbiblical.
  
• Lonely but not alone: Many respondents described experiencing deep loneliness and often senses of guilt or confusion at finding themselves ‘out of church’. But many also testified to experiencing relief, thankfulness and times of refreshing and deeper communion with God.
  
• Suspicion, fear and hesitancy: Several implied that their past experiences have left them with deep wounds and a need for healing, rest and refreshing. Common was a hesitancy to commit to new forms of fellowship with people they don’t know and trust well.
  
• Relief and gratitude: Many were grateful to see the issue acknowledged and to realise that they are not on their own.
  

More than 1 in 4 (28%) participants said that they cannot find a sound, biblical church in their area.

Our Thanks

We believe that the ‘out of church’ trend may represent a new chapter in the life of British Christianity, indicative not only of the sorry state of many existing churches but also of an exciting, fresh move of the Lord, bringing new forms of fellowship to life.

We do not necessarily believe this means that all Bible-believing Christians should immediately leave any organised fellowships of which they are part! However, we do recognise that those who find themselves ‘out of church’ in a practical sense are not necessarily out of ‘Church’ in the spiritual sense. And we wholeheartedly affirm Hebrews 10:24-25: “…let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Once again, we are profoundly grateful to all who contributed to this survey. Please have Issachar Ministries and Prophecy Today in your prayers as we seek the Lord for his guidance as to how to respond to these changes in British church life.