(Each Saturday, a faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal perspective in this space. To become part of this series, email religion@recorder.com)
Small churches are growing in America. They are growing, not in attendance but in number. The most accurate indicator of church size is average attendance at weekly worship services, as church membership lists may be outdated and reflect numerous long-time inactive members. Sixty percent of Protestant churches in America average less than 100 people in weekly worship. The median weekly Protestant church attendance is 75 people a week, which means that half of churches have less than 75 people in church attendance and half have more than 75. The average attendance of churches in America is 186, which is skewed higher by the very large megachurches’ weekly worship attendance numbers. The family-sized small church, of which there are thousands in America, has less than 50 people a week who attend worship.
Many small churches are closing. One estimate is that 6,000 to 10,000 churches in the United States close each year. That means that 100 to 200 churches close between each weekly Faith Matters article. A number of churches have closed in recent years in Franklin County. The majority of churches in Franklin County, that at one point could sustain a full-time ordained minister, are now small enough in size they that have a part-time pastor serving the church. The Robbins Memorial Congregational Church, where I’m in my sixth year serving as its part-time pastor, has more than a 125-year history and it’s in danger of closing.
The simple explanation is that fewer people attend church. In recent generations, participation in weekly worship services has declined from 75 percent for the WWII generation, to 55 percent for the Baby Boomer generation, to 35 percent of Generation X to now 15 percent of Millennials (while I don’t have the percentage for Generation Y, I suspect that it would be around 25 percent). I was selected at random to participate in the American Community Survey for the 2020 United States Census. Survey results reveal that fewer and fewer Americans identify with organized religion and more Americans identify as having either no religious preference or as “other” for their religious preference. Most churches in America are shrinking and aging. They are smaller, older, and may be at risk of closing.
Churches, like people, have a life cycle. There is a cycle of birth, growth, decline and death. There is grieving with the closing of a church as there is grieving when a human life ends. I’ve been active in churches for 50 of my 52 years of life. Almost all of the churches that I’ve participated in were small. The church that I grew up in recently closed. The church where I served as the pastor for 13 years estimates that it has enough money to sustain the church for another year.
There are many benefits to participating in a small church: higher levels of member participation, stronger leadership by church members versus ordained ministers, and higher levels of fellowship among members. Smaller may be better. Many churches are small but mighty. They are survivors who resist dying thanks to the faithful service of their active members. With all that of that said, small churches remain a threatened species. They need your support now more than ever, before it’s too late.
Famous for our pies for the past 75 years, we do much more. Our tag sales provide quality items monthly. Our missions include the Survival Center, Warm the Children, Family Inn, Center for Self-Reliance, Western Mass. Food Bank, American School for Deaf, Salvation Army, Springfield Mission Shelter, and more. Each year we make and fill 100 school bags for needy children in the USA and elsewhere for Church World Service.
We are affiliated with National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. Learn more at www.RobbinsChurchGreenfield.
Worship is at 10 a.m. every Sunday. The church is at 55 Munson St. We welcome all who seek to know and share the love of Christ.