Reasons for Giving Up Church-going

This week, both The Methodist Recorder[1] and The Church Times[2] contained articles about a study done by Leslie Francis and Philip Richter on the reasons that British people have given for giving up on church-going. It was infuriatingly frustrating that The Methodist Recorder only reported the existence of the study and gave no indication of its contents.

The reasons cited for leaving add up to more than 100% presumably because individuals were allowed to give more than one reason. The top reason given by a 'high proportion' of church-leavers was 'Church irrelevant'

The second most important reason given for leaving - cited by half of church leavers - won't be surprising to anyone who goes to church but it is rarely cited by people ranting about church decline: about half the church-leavers said they gave up going to church because they were excluded by cliques.

Social exclusion was one of the most important reason people gave up church-going! What a challenge to all congregations. Exclusion is so easily done.

Other reasons included:

• Churchgoing was part of growing up (40%)
• Moving to a new area and family commitments (33%)
• Tensions with work (25%)
• Church was too feminine for some men, and too difficult for those sexually active outside marriage.
• Inadequate return for time and money (40%)
• Disillusionment
• Hurt by pastoral failure (14%)
• Disliked change - e.g. of hymns (20%)
• Worship too formal/informal and teaching too high/low (33%)
• Church leader too authoritarian (RC) or too unclear (Anglicans) (25%)
• Church was too conservative (20% to 33%)
• Lack of boundaries between the Church and the world (25%)

The authors suggest that churches need to 'multiplex' - to meet different needs, but people need to work together.

I wonder where this leaves small churches?

The study is called Gone for Good and is published by Epworth Press. Cost is £19.99.

[1] Does not carry the article online.
[2] Article online for subscribers only.