The first step toward addressing a problem is admitting we have one. Our churches in New England are in times of trouble. Without doubt, God is on the move, and the church is Christ’s Bride being beautifully prepared for him, and we are already overcomers. This is our identity. Given these truths, we might balk and say “Don’t be so doom and gloom,” and point to the churches that are doing very well. They are clearly thriving. But do these examples merely “take the edge off” the problem and dull our urgency to face it?
We find ourselves in a postmodern and postchristian culture. Postmodern stands for a worldview of virtually every New Englander that loves mystery and story more than settled fact, is super suspicious of any person of authority, is globally- and community-conscious, and embraces authenticity and relationship as all-important. A postmodern worldview is not incompatible with Christian faith or Scripture. Postchristian points to a church that is no longer in the center of society and no longer has clout. The consequences for the church of her surrounding culture being postmodern and postchristian are myriad.
What worries me? The church in New England, (generalizing here), seems to be unaware, or at a loss for what it means, or whistling past the graveyard. If we were to hypothetically skip ahead to where all of this was a given for us, we would be alarmed that we’re even having to have the discussion now—it means that our culture is wading through a frightening, fog-shrouded liminal bog without the church to help them to the far shore. We’re still standing on the near bank, vainly trying to call them back. Although we are fully aware that the church is no longer at the center of society and no longer has clout, we’re still acting as if we are and do. We’re still acting as though our propositional pontificating scratches the itch of the life’s-deeper-questions postmoderns are asking. We’re still acting, Covid or not, like Sunday mornings largely define a church. We’re still acting like the church receives and that people will prioritize church programming. We’re still acting as though a tiny bit of disingenuousness can go unnoticed.
Also, I don’t think church planting or daughtering or replanting are primary antidotes. Options like these have a role, but I’m with Jack Daniel that “the greatest opportunity for revival in America lies in the revitalization of the many thousands of existing churches in decline.” I think revitalization of historic, declining churches is the most difficult remedy by far … but desperate times call for desperate measures. New Englanders love the historic, the old and the native, and we can be cartoonishly parochial. This means established churches, even those in decline, have an amazing amount of leverage at their fingertips.
Our churches are not accidentally where they are. Christ the Head, with eyes like blazing fire and feet like burnished bronze, put each one as his candlestick precisely where he wants it to be. My church is responsible for my locale. So is yours. And I don’t think Jesus is going to wink if we fail to take that responsibility ultra-seriously and say to us, “that’s ok, you tried.” Because my locale and yours is postchristian, we need to think like a missionary. We need to first learn the postmodern language, then we need to walk a mile in their shoes and know them almost better than they do, and then we need to translate the gospel specifically for them. We’re not churches in America any longer—we’re missionaries in someone else’s village.
In Holbrook, where Jesus placed our candlestick, there are over 11,000 people in 4,000 households. Pre-Covid about 300 attended any Holbrook church. So maybe 1,000 belong to an evangelical church somewhere. Maybe 1,000 have some pre-existing connection with church and might be drawn back. That leaves a full 9,000 people in lil’ ole Holbrook alone for whom church and Jesus are not even a “thing.” I want to know how to reach them. I want to be willing to do whatever God shows us is necessary. Take my will and make it thine. Will you too accept this impossible-without-the-Spirit mission?
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