Why are these leaders so disconnected from their local churches? Executives and politicians are often distressed by the way churches are run. James Unruh, who served as the chief executive of Unisys, was also at one time an elder at his Presbyterian church in California. He has since decided he will never serve again. He couldn’t stand the inefficiency of church meetings, a common refrain among those I interviewed.<\/p>\n
“It’s very frustrating to be patient and not to try to run things because that’s what you’re doing all day in your business,” Unruh told me. Others described local congregations as “inefficient,” “unproductive” and “focused on the wrong things.”<\/p>\n
These factors are driving evangelical leaders into the arms of fellowship groups that exist outside the churches, often called “parachurch” organizations. The shift began in the 1950s, but it grew dramatically over the past 20 years as the parachurch sector became more professional and well-resourced. Nearly three-fourths of the leaders I interviewed serve on the board of at least one parachurch organization, such as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. They prefer these groups because they have a broader reach and a bigger impact.<\/p>\n
David Grizzle, a senior executive with Continental Airlines, told me, “I’ve intentionally pulled back involvement at my local church level and focused more on activities of a broader scope. … I get to the same place, but through a different pathway.”<\/p>\n
Pastors and religious leaders \u201d\u201d not just among evangelicals, but also among liberal and mainline Protestants, Catholics and Jews \u201d\u201d are concerned about these developments.<\/p>\n