The challenge of turning around a declining church

We regularly read that 80 percent of the churches in North America are plateaued or declining.  As I've written elsewhere I believe that the majority of those churches are in decline.  A plateau is a relatively short period of time on a life cycle.  Although I do not know the actual percentage of declining churches that have been turned around, my experience would suggest it is a fairly low number.  In his excellent book Taking Your Church to the Next Level: What Got You Here Won't Get You There Gary McIntosh explains why it is so difficult to turn around a declining church.

McIntosh writes that a turn-around pastor must be a reorganizer.  Such a person must be skilled at multi-tasking and able to build a new vision for the church while at the same time satisfying the existing members.  This requires excellent people skills that enables the pastor to enjoy credibility with the membership and the ability to attract new people to the church.  One challenge is that if some headway is not seen within two or three years the reorganizer will leave.  A second challenge is that such pastors are in short supply with the author suggesting that only about five percent of ministers would fall into this category.

As the church continues down the decline side of the life cycle into the dying stage it requires a super reorganizer.  This person will have the ability to raise the dead as the only thing that can save such a church in this stage is a rebirth.  The problems encountered at this stage is the very low percentage of ministers capable of such a rebirth, perhaps 1-2 percent, and the fact that the church must be willing to try almost anything to survive.  The truth is most churches at this stage of life have become very risk averse and will refuse almost any suggestion that they fear might actually shorten their lives.

Is it difficult for a declining church to turn around and experience new life and new ministry?  Absolutely, but it is not impossible.  The primary cause of such decline in McIntosh's opinion is a loss of vision for ministry, and I completely agree.  If the church can discover a fresh vision from God for a future ministry then a turn-around is possible.  Without such a vision, and the courage to live into that vision, a turn-around is unlikely.

What makes this book so valuable is that McIntosh gives some very practical ways for different types of churches to find that vision and put it into practice..  For better or worse, I seldom re-read books, but I am currently re-reading this one.  It is filled with practical ideas that any size church can implement to experience a turn-around if they are determined to do so.  If your church is currently struggling and in that 80 percent I would certainly recommend this book to you.  If you are fortunate enough to be in a church that is in the 20 percent I urge you to read it to learn how to avoid falling into the plateau/decline trap.