I had just left a friend’s home and was on my way to work when I drove past a church that caught my attention. After I passed the church, I heard a voice in my head ask me: “How long has this church been here?”
I thought about it and realized I didn’t know the exact date the church was built, but I knew that the church was there for more than 18 years in its current state. As I continued on my journey, I pondered and pondered on what significance this question had. It was only when I got to work that I got the answer.
I realized the question was asked to reveal what I believed to be a problem.
In the 18 plus years I knew of that church, it never increased its physical size – meaning that those connected with it never built a bigger church. Two things could be deduced from this observation.
1. The membership of the church had not significantly increased in 18 years.
2. Just as many people were leaving the church as were entering.
As I continued to think about this situation, I realized that this church was not alone, and that many traditional churches in Barbados shared a similar situation. Most of them had never built a bigger church, or should I say, most of their memberships had never outgrown their centres of “worship” either.
I was finding this situation to be very interesting, so I decided to dig a little deeper. I found out that “Sunday achool” and “Sunday Church” attendance numbers were generally lower than in the past.
When I was a child, Sunday school was never an option. There was never a debate, discussion or conversation regarding whether I would be going because I had no choice. As I became a teenager, I saw the benefits of going and I decided that each Sunday I would attend Sunday dchool and general church.
Something had influenced me to return each week. Today, children are given the opportunity to decide if they will or will not go.
It is often said that Barbados is a Christian nation and that more than 80 per cent of the population are Christians. If this is true, well over 200 000 people are in the faith.
I am subject to correction, but I highly doubt that there are that many citizens collectively in the churches in this country each Sunday. Maybe the majority of this number are those individuals who profess Christ but don’t necessarily possess him.
One of the commands Jesus left his disciples and followers was to “go into all the world and make disciples of the people”. Based on what I am seeing and have learnt, it seems like the church in Barbados is struggling to fulfil this command, also known as the Great Commission.
Yes, there are many “new” churches in schools, community centres and some have their own properties, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that most of the members or congregation are new “disciples”. I could be wrong, but I believe the majority of these members are individuals who migrated from other churches.
Has the church lost its influence within the community and country? Are there just as many people leaving the church as entering? Has the church become stagnant?
If your answer is yes, then in the same way that serious questions are asked and other investigations conducted in any organization when there is no growth or growth is very minimal, the same thing needs to be done within the church.