Because: Exploring The Vanishing Church: Demography, Decline, and Hope in Faith Communities
Show Notes: To Be snd Do
In this heartfelt "Because" episode of "To Be and Do," Philip Amerson explores the current reality of the American church, drawing insights from books and sociological perspectives while offering a message of hope. The conversation is anchored by reflections on Ryan Burge's newest book, The Vanishing Church, and the shifting role of faith communities in today's society.
Episode Summary:
Philip Amerson opens by sharing two books that have been making an impact in discussions around faith in America—Separation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang and The Vanishing Church by Ryan Burge. He dives deeper into Burge's analysis, bringing his own critique and optimism to the conversation. While acknowledging the decline in mainline churches and reflecting on changes since the mid-20th century, Philip Amerson offers a counter-narrative grounded in the ongoing, meaningful work of congregations nationwide.
Three Key Takeaways:
- Changing Demographics Shaped Church Growth and Decline
- Philip Amerson points out that the rise and fall of mainline church attendance is strongly tied to broader sociological shifts. After World War II, churches flourished due to larger families and increased community focus (01:44). But as family sizes shrank in subsequent decades, the physical and social structures of churches had to adapt—highlighting the importance of context in understanding religious trends.
- Faith Communities Are More Than Commodities
- Challenging the tendency to measure church health only through numbers, Philip Amerson urges listeners to see faith as a community to be built rather than a commodity to be counted (02:29). He stresses that the deep, transformative work of congregations isn’t always captured by statistics, and that real growth and hope exist in places where faith is nurtured as a communal experience.
- A Message of Hope: Slow Growth, Deep Impact
- Despite data showing decline, Philip Amerson believes there are many churches quietly thriving through small, steady steps. He references the ministry of Rev. Dr. Brad Miller and other congregations as examples of hope and meaningful change (02:43). The episode closes with a reminder that what churches offer—faith, love, and transformation—cannot be measured in gold or silver, but in the value they bring to lives and communities.
Tune in for an uplifting exploration of the complexities facing today’s church, a critical look at statistical analyses, and encouraging stories of faith in action.
Phil Amerson [00:00:01]:
Greetings everyone, this is Phil Amerson again with just a time of because, because we are people of faith and seeking to find a way forward. Folks have been giving me books recently, and one of them is this one, Separation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang. And the other one I want to talk about a little bit today is Ryan Burge's latest book, The Vanishing Church. And I want to talk about Ryan Burge's book because I think it's critical to understanding how people see the role of the church in this time. Burge is a sociologist, a demographer. He taught at Eastern Illinois University. He's now over at Washington U in St. Louis.
Phil Amerson [00:00:49]:
If you read popular magazines or the New York Times, he was recently interviewed there in the New York Times, and his view is about the diminishing, the vanishing church, and he's talking about especially mainline churches and his experience as a pastor. He was pastor of a small American Baptist church in Mount Vernon, Illinois, and the decline that came and the way that church eventually disappeared, had to close. And I appreciate Burge's analysis. I understand it. But I quibble with it. While many mainline churches are in decline and while many are closing, there's also a lot of hope out there. And a lot of what Ryan does is he looks at the demography, but not all of it. For instance, a lot of the mainline churches grew during the 1950s and '60s when people were coming home from the war and having a lot of children.
Phil Amerson [00:01:53]:
And you know what happened in the '70s and '80s and '90s where we used to have families with 4 and 5 and 6 children. We now were having families with— well, the average was 1.5 children. So guess what? Those education buildings were no longer needed that were built for the church in the 1960s. Or let me put it this way. Where I think I have most challenges with what Ryan Burge writes is that he sees religion or the faith community as a commodity to be measured. I want to suggest that you can do that, or you might think of it as a community to be built. There are pastors and congregations all over this country. One of them my producer Brad Miller attends, up south of Indianapolis.
Phil Amerson [00:02:50]:
Oh, the growth is small and slow, but the ministry is important. And if I had the time, I would talk for 20 minutes about 10 places where I see hope and growth going on. And it's where faith is not seen just as a commodity to be measured, but a community to be built and nurtured. God bless. I think that's what the Gospels are about. I think that's what Paul is writing about. 'Gold and silver have I none,' John and Peter said there on the steps of the temple, 'but such as we have we offer to you.' And I want you to find a congregation that knows about offering such as we have, which is faith in the gift of a loving, transforming Christ. God bless.
