Journal & Press
Local entities trying to thrive or even stay afloat are not confined to businesses; local churches, as is the case nationwide, are feeling the pressure. Both local businesses and local churches share a couple of the same challenges, but churches actually face a couple of others which are even more difficult to overcome.
Before we get to the challenges of our local churches, let’s look at just a few of the reasons attending church is a positive thing:
First, it gives people a chance to give thanks for the many blessings each of us have been given; Second, it gives people the opportunity to connect to something more powerful than any politician, celebrity, or any other representative of our current culture; Third, church is the place to go when you are in spiritual need, when your burdens are heavy and you are emotionally spent; Fourth, it is an opportunity to see that there are like-minded people, who go through the same challenges you go through and will support you as you go through those challenges.
The challenges churches face are many:
Not only is attendance dropping at churches, but in general, the attendees are skewing older and older; as this generation of attendees passes on, there may well be not enough attendees to allow some churches to be open; according to a Gallup nationwide poll, from 2018 to 2020, Gen X attendance dropped from 57% to 50% and Millennials dropped from 51% to 36%; as discouraging as this trend is, from my own observations at the church I attend, and from officials of other local churches, attendance nationally far exceeds that of local churches in all age groups, but particularly in Gen Xers and Millennials which is a very scary data point concerning the future health of our churches.
American society and culture has put a major dent in church attendance in several different ways. It began with the repeal of Blue Laws (mandatory Sunday closures of most businesses) in the early 1970s; almost all businesses now have operating hours on Sunday mornings. The growth of children’s organized sports and other activities has created a maximum demand for the facilities that house them, which means Sunday mornings are prime time for those facilities; additionally, those people coaching as well as the parents of those children, prioritize their children taking part in those activities (and they themselves attending them) over attending Sunday services. Perhaps most damaging to church attendance is the decline from generation to generation of the importance of worship; survey data shows that Baby Boomers attend services less than their parents, Gen X attend services significantly less than the Baby Boomers, and Millennials attend services even less than Gen X; I’m not judging here since our son, when he’s home from college, only rarely attends church with my wife and I, but as the old saying goes, we are a product of our upbringing. It is clear that as one generation in general has put less emphasis on worship and attending church, the succeeding generation has done the same, even less so. Where once attending of church was an expectation of society, it has fallen way down the list of Sunday priorities.
Lastly, while freedom to worship is the very 1st Amendment to the Constitution, over the last 60 years government and certain political parties have attempted, apparently successfully, to lessen the importance of religion and the ability to express oneself in a religious way. Children cannot pray in school, nor can teachers lead prayer. Main Street in Greenwich, for example can receive government grants and financial assistance for improvements for buildings labeled as historic, but churches, which are among the most historic in Greenwich, cannot by law. When COVID hit, the Governor allowed big box stores and other businesses to remain open, but shuttered small businesses, and churches, denying our constitutional rights (casinos were allowed to re-open before churches were). And church goers are labeled as the Religious Right by some, even though people of all political persuasions attend church.
To end on a positive note, with all the tumult in our lives, whether it be politics, pandemic, making ends meet, raising children, or career challenges, attending church services might just be a place to give some peace to your soul. Our local churches – there are six in Greenwich – are very welcoming and would love for you to join any one of them for Sunday services, whether it be once a month or two months or every week (I’m sure other local town’s churches feel the same). There is no judging, just a oneness of spirit and compassion for all.
Roger De Korp is a retired retail multi-unit supervisor. He resides in Greenwich with his wife Colleen.