Diana Butler Bass knows all the gloomy statistics about declining mainline Protestant churches but believes in their future. She studies mainline churches that are thriving to see what sets them apart from those that are dying.
Her findings contradict some popular theories about church growth, and she is sharing them at a three-day conference at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in East Liberty.
Successful congregations cultivate spiritual practices in daily life, promote tradition without using it as a fence to keep people out and offer a quest for wisdom, not pat answers, she said.
“When all three of those things are knit together, I call it the architecture of vitality,” said Dr. Bass, currently senior fellow at the Cathedral College of the Episcopal Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
From 2002 to 2006 she studied congregations that were experiencing renewal in the Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ. They ranged from 35 to 3,500 members and covered all demographics and most would not describe themselves as evangelical.
Americans are looking for new ways to experience religious community. Thriving congregations have been able to change the way they do ministry to create those communities, she said. Those that keep offering conventional church programs from the 1950s wither and die.
Am I wrong or does it look like she chose the sample that would yield the most palatable conclusion? Is the result guaranteed by the material chosen?
#1, are you implying that there are many growing mainline churches that, for instance, *do not* encourage the cultivation of spiritual practices, and yet are growing?
This article doesn’t tell us her methodology, but it sounds like she chose liberal churches that are growing numerically. The fact that she found some growing liberal churches should not be that surprising. All kinds of cults can point to some growing churches. The fact that she went looking for growing churches, as it appears from the article, suggests a self-fulfilling prophecy to me.
“From 2002 to 2006 she studied congregations that were experiencing renewal in the Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ. They ranged from 35 to 3,500 members and covered all demographics and most would not describe themselves as evangelical.”
Susan Russell likes to point out on her blog that her church is growing. The statistics are here. The ASA is remarkably flat. Hmmm. I pointed out that in any conflict the polarized ends benefit and that her diocese is tanking, 8.5% drop after 2002 (Again, what happened in 2003?).
She didn’t see fit to print that response.
TonyinCNY – please do suggest that liberal churches are cults. Certainly we can disagree, even argue – but this type of interaction demeans your own faith witness.
Robroy
Don’t worry about Susan Russell not printing your comment. I think she omits to put most views on her site that would not show her beliefs in a totally positive light. It’s little echoes that she is looking for — who ohh and ahh over her every word. As with many “liberals” any contradiction is immediately banned. You would think this would make her own side reconsider her as a leader but unfortunately “thinking” is something that seems to be a title rather than an action.
Funny how the 1950’s services that the author demeans produced the high-water mark for the Episcopal church.
And bob, don’t be so dismissive of the cult accusation. You aren’t closed-minded on the issue, are you?
I’ve been reading Bass’ book and haven’t found much that’s terribly helpful in it, but let’s be fair to what she’s trying to do. It is not part of her thesis that liberal churches grow as well as conservative churches. Her approach is: here are some liberal churches which are growing – now what are they doing right?
Ok everyone, I’m feeling exceptionally dense at the moment. How is it that y’all have come to the conclusion that it’s the “liberal” churches she studied and that it’s the “liberal” churches that are growing? What code words have I missed?
Thanks,
T
#4 It looks like the impact from 2003 for All Saints Pasadena was no increase in ASA but an increase of $400,000 in donations. Could this be contributions to show support for political reasons by people not really interested in attending church.
#9 Yes, I am confused, too. I thought some of the most successful growing churches had been conservative, and many had left the denomination very recently. Are they included in her research?