Autopsy of a Deceased Church – PaulThompsonBlog

What About the Dying Church?

Posted on December 9, 2014Leave a comment

(Book Review of “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” part 6. Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 and Part 5)

This is my final review/critique of “Autopsy of a Deceased Church”.

I want to start with a qualifier: I appreciate the value this book has to offer the church at large. In this part (6) I will review/critique the final chapter and offer final overall thoughts. I have no intent to discredit or speak disparagingly of any one individual or entity only to request that greater care be given from the publishing world in what is published for pastors and churches.

Review of Chapter 14: My Church is Dying: Four Responses:

I still have a nearness of my dad dying last month. This nearness of self-pity and sorrow may still be too close for me to speak with profoundness.

I understand that no one wants to talk about death. It’s kind of awkward. One even kind of wonders if it’s okay to talk about it. But, I’m in agreement with Rainer on this matter, local churches do die and it is a good thing to take a close look (an autopsy) of that dead corpse to determine what led to the demise and was there anything that could have been done to save it.

Who would want to admit that their church is one of those churches that is dying? I wouldn’t.

Here Rainer offers four responses: Death with Dignity.

Sell the property and give the funds to another church, perhaps a new church that has begun or will soon begin.
Give the building to another church.
If the church (building) is in a transitional neighborhood, turn over the leadership and property to those who actually reside in the neighborhood.
Merge with another church, but let the other church have the ownership and leadership of your church.

I think I understand what Rainer is saying. Just as in the death of a person, a will is consulted for instruction for what to do with any assets. I think there are some healthy things Rainer is making here. While there is life still in the church, let your dying moments count for the Kingdom of Heaven and let the earthly assets of the church bless another church or ministry driven by the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That’s it. That’s all I have to say about the book proper, I have more to say about some of the content or issues, but for the book, that is all. I do recommend it, with a caution to the reader; Always be a critical thinking reader.

Prescription for a Sick Church

Posted on December 9, 2014Leave a comment

(Book Review of “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” part 5. Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4)

Final review/critique of Autopsy of a Deceased Church, by Thom Rainer.

I appreciate that Thom Rainer offers a book that looks at some serious issue churches face.

These final three chapters seem to be written from a sincere desire to help churches be restored to good health. Let me offer my review/critique to his twelve responses to churches that may have symptoms of sickness.

Rainer divides his twelve responses into three categories of churches: churches that have symptoms of sickness (40%); very sick churches (40%); and dying churches (10%). It is Rainer’s opinion that there may only be 10% of churches that are healthy. If this is accurate, then there is reason for alarm.

Chapter 12: My Church Has Symptoms of Sickness: Four Responses

First, This may be the shortest chapter in the entire short book. The shortness of attention should not reflect the seriousness of the matter. Rainer supposes that there may be over 150,000 churches that fit this category. WOW.

Here is where I have to listen to the author with care. And I urge other pastors to do the same.

I would likely be the guys this chapter is talking about. I do realize that numbers tell a story. Often, Christian publishing houses produce statistics that, admittedly, are complicated to decrepit. And if pastors use the statistics, we are often chided for misusing them. This is a love/hate relationship I have with numbers. Do these statistics represent facts? Do these numbers represent health?

I can tell you from pastoring this church for over 13 years that there were days when we had to have two worship services on Sunday morning and our Wednesday night attendance was something to brag about. And unfortunately I did. But when I examine those days, I will actually argue that the church was less healthy. Not because of the numbers of people who where here, but because we were more driven by agendas and programs of men than the sufficiency of Christ and his word.

I don’t think Rainer is trying to make an argument that numbers reflect health; but I do think that a pastor reading this book, wanting to faithfully lead his church will read this book and interpret that attendance and numerical growth equals health. It may… but it doesn’t simply mean that.

Rainer does note that the kinds of programs and ministries may be showing the local church that she has become self-centered and a lack of ministry or programs for the community could show unhealthiness. But where do churches get the ideas for their programs they offer or ministries they do? Usually from a publishing house order form, a publishing house mailer, a publishing house sponsored conference with a product to sell.

I don’t mean to imply what my frankness may be saying.

Rainer’s four responses to these churches is helpful.

Pray that God will open the eyes of the leadership and members for opportunities to reach into the community where the church is located.
Take an honest audit of how church members spend their time being involved.
Take an audit of how the church spends its money.
Make specific plans to minister and to evangelize your community.

I believe these are four helpful responses. I intend to do hear and do.

Chapter 13: My Church is Very Sick: Four Responses

In his research, Rainer argues, and I agree, that rarely does a church move from being a church with symptoms of sickness to being very sick overnight. This process is likely very similar to the human body.

There are indicators that a church is becoming very sick and will eventually suffer greatly if the sickness is not dealt with.

Shockingly, Rainer estimates that there are over 150,000 churches. (here is some of that statistical data that pastors will begin to uses and somewhere down the road may be accused of misinterpreting the numbers.) 150,000 very sick churches? WOW! Should there be an alarm going off somewhere? That’s almost unbelievable. If this is true, then the condition of the church is worse that it appears.

I’m not happy with the reporting of information in this chapter at all.

(More information about numbers as the sign. I get it. It may be an indicator. But is it the standard? We know better. We have bibles, we see that our message is less desired today than ever before. There is a sickness, but is the sickness not our incurable desire to attract a large crowd?)

And yet, I appreciate his four responses:

Admit and confess the dire situation.
The church must pray for wisdom and strength to do whatever is necessary. (I argue that repentance is in order not simply changing something)
The church must be willing to change radically. (as a result of repentance, turn from the spirit of this age and to the Spirit of God)
That change must lead to action and an outward focus.

I get it. There is a serious problem, sickness. I couldn’t agree more at this point, but I disagree with the implications that the language used will communicate what I think Rainer knows to be true. I don’t know Thom Rainer personally. I have every reason to believe he is sincere in his desire for healthy churches.

We Didn’t Mean That Kind of Change

Posted on December 2, 20142 Comments

(Book Review of “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” part 4. Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3)

Continued review/critique of Autopsy of a Deceased Church.

Chapter 8: Pastoral Tenure Decreases

Thom Rainer has written about the tenure of pastors for many years. He has studied, contemplated and written about this critical issue with integrity. I’ve read many things he has to say about this and agree with his assessments.

Rainer identifies stages and characteristics as he reports from the autopsy table.

Year 1: Honeymoon – here, Rainer talks about the adjustments of both pastor and church in getting to know each other. I personally have never like the term ‘honeymoon’, but I understand what it communicates. Marriage is a life long commitment, until death. I don’t like the use of it because it cheapens language we use to describe marriage. I would prefer a term like ‘start-up’ or ‘adjustment’ stage. However, I agree with his assessment of that new day era. He does report that he season does not usually last long. Where the church was excited about ‘change’ they didn’t mean that kind of change.
Years 2 and 3: Conflicts and Challenges – because no pastor is perfect and no church is perfect all parties discover imperfections quickly. It is in this stage that most problematic churches and pastors decide to part ways, either kindly or with great disruption.
Years 4 and 5: Crossroads, Part 1 – Rainer calls this among the most critical days in the relationship of pastor and church. Both have to either agree to part ways or come to an agreed upon conclusion that both are satisfied to stay the course.
Years 6-10: Fruit and Harvest – He concludes that his research is not complete but he argues that these are some of the best years in the relationship. Both can trust each other and love each other more deeply.
Years 11 and beyond: Crossroads, Part 2 – Here again, Rainer admits that his research is incomplete in that he sees in this stage the pastor either goes through a ‘reinvigorated’ vision or becomes complacent.

Apparently most churches and pastors rarely get past stage 2 (2-3 years) and it is a cycle repeating itself again and again and again until the church finally dies.

Personal evaluation: I’m in that rare place of being in the last stage of his examination. I could see that his observation of the stages are fairly accurate. The timing was slightly different for me in some of the stages but as a whole, it seems to be a representation of my experience here. I don’t think my church is interested in coasting along. I don’t want to be blind and ignore to potential pitfalls of being in a place this long.

I pray for a day of wide spread revival. I also know that the effect of revival may be an outbreak of awakening. This chapter had a soberness to it for me in that I appear to be in a critical stage in the life of the church I pastor. I’ve weighed the report from the autopsy room and head the warning of the report with interest.

Chapter 9: The Church Rarely Prayed Together

I was glad to see this chapter here. Rainer did a good job on this matter. He posted some questions he’s asked churches before and offered responses that gave helpful evaluation of the condition.

“Did the church members pray together?” I’m sure most churches would answer this with a “yes, of course we prayed together.”

Probing deeper to answers like that must be made, and he did.

“Describe your prayer times.” This is where the discovery and revelation to the first question came.

His description of these prayer meetings are likely fairly common across the landscape of the church. A list was presented to those present and someone prayed for all those on the list and then they went home.

This may describe many prayer meetings, but his probing deeper was looking for meaningful prayer meetings. A meeting that is more ritual or routine can hardly be described as meaningful. Praying only for the sick grows weary.

Rainer is correct, “when the church is engaged in meaningful prayer, it becomes both the cause and the result of greater church health.

I still want better definition. The word ‘meaningful’ is subjective. Is prayer looked at by the church the same way the bible describes it. Would anyone in Twin Falls know where to send someone if they were asked where a church gathers for prayer?

The New Testament does give a good example of this and Rainer does refer to Acts 2:42 “and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.” This is not a book on prayer, so I go easy on him here.

“Prayer was serious stuff for a serious group of people. Prayer was the lifeblood of the early church.”

When a church stops praying with an urgency for the aid of the Holy Spirit to fall upon them, then the church is in dire trouble.

Oh, Lord, teach me to pray.

Chapter 10: The Church Had No Clear Purpose

Where it is true that purpose is critical. Purpose is a buzz word that can be misleading. I appreciate that Rainer wasn’t advocating that a church ought to discover her unique purpose or niche in the church market. The church must have a biblical purpose. A gospel partnership linked to the marching orders of that first church era. Not one encouraged to find herself or find her voice in the sea of others. Rainer did good to clarify the clear purpose a church must have must be a biblical purpose.

The church has no reason to define herself as anything other than the bride of Christ. And that is clearly shown to us in Scripture. Yes, I see that a church in Twin Falls, Idaho will look somewhat different than a church in New York City or Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. But the church must know her clear purpose or she’ll try to identify herself in some niche way that limits her global scope.

Chapter 11: The Church Obsessed Over the Facilities

Oh, this is touchy territory. Rainer was good to go here. The dreaded ‘memorial’ funds or ‘memorial’ furniture, flowers, trees, etc…

In this short chapter the reader gets a close look at the reality of the autopsy. It’s ugly here.

Church fights over stained glass windows, pews, draperies, paint color, carpet color, sound systems, and more. “Dying churches, more often than not, experience severe battles over facility obsession before her demise.

This exposes severe problems, doesn’t it. It exposes not a need for change, but repentance. Anytime a person or church puts focus on a material matter above spiritual matters and unity, she is in serious danger of dying soon. A focus on things and not repenting of this sin finds the church with one foot in the grave I suppose.

There must be hope. The good news is, that’s the next focus on the remaining fourth of the book. The book is only 102 pages long. Rainer devoted 82 of these short pages to the autopsy room. The word count of my review/critique may be more than the entire book.

As a whole I was pleased and thankful for his assessment. Where I took issue with a few matters of semantics, I agree largely with his autopsy report. I would recommend any church read it. I’m most curious for the final push, the conclusion; Is There Hope for the Dying Church? Twelve Responses.

Follow the Money

Posted on December 2, 2014Leave a comment

(Book Review of “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” part 3. Part 1 and Part 2)

Chapter 5: The Budget Moved Inwardly

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

When the autopsy shows a drifting of spending from giving to self sustaining then this can be a helpful diagnosis of when a church should hear the warning.

I’m not one to say that financial tightness is necessarily an unhealthy state or that financial liberty is a reflection of health. But I do think there are things to discover in the financial money trail that a church should pay attention to.

Chapter 6: The Great Commission Becomes the Great Omission

“Thriving churches have the Great Commission as the center piece of their vision…”

I agree with Rainer’s autopsy report here on this matter; however, I wish the standard for words were more consistent.

Words like “thriving”.

What does a “thriving church look like? I realize I may be moving where Rainer had no intention for the discussion to go, but this is where a lot of breakdown happens for me and I start getting nervous with a church growth/health book.

I visited a church in a neighboring state recently on my way to visit my parents. It was a Wednesday night. I had looked up online to make sure this church had a mid week bible study or prayer time, sure enough it was posted on the churches website that they began at 6:30 p.m. When I arrived in the parking lot I could not believe how full, even packed the parking lot was. I thought, “wow, I didn’t know churches still had this kind of attendance on Wednesday nights.”

The next 45 minutes was among the most awkward moments I had in a church in recent years.

There was activity everywhere. And yet no one seemed to know where the adult bible study/prayer gathering was. I was ushered around the building buzzing (maybe thriving) with activity. But still no one could find the room, or the leader, of the adult bible study/prayer gathering. Eventually, I was left, alone, in the room where they thought the gathering took place. For the remainder of the time I sat in the room, alone.

Would that church be called a “Thriving church”? Likely even placed in front of other churches as a leading church. What about the church that has a small band of faithful, praying every week for their city, community, nation and the nations of the world? Would that nearly empty parking lot prove a “dying” prognosis?

This is why I wish greater care was given to ‘buzz words’ or language that pastors and church leaders get so quickly derailed on. And I, admittedly, get lost with. I was able to curb my frustration with the one-word hang up to hear Rainer’s autopsy report clearly. Maybe even helping me remember that “thriving” activity doesn’t necessarily mean Great Commission work is happening.

This was a good chapter, even with my hang up on the word “thriving”.

Chapter 7: The Preference-Driven Church

Rainer explains some of the horror of what happens when preference is placed above submission to Christ.

I’ve heard this kind of story over and over and over. I’ve even lived through some of these nightmarish congregational meetings where individuals put their preference out as if a style of music is what is worshiped here, time of the meeting takes place, what translation of the bible belongs in the pews, to build debt free or go into debt, brick exterior or siding…

This autopsy report is ugly, it’s like a cancer.

It’s more than just the “old guard” wanting to hang on to the memories of a nostalgic day of the past. It’s as much the cancer of wanting something new and fresh.

Right now Rainer is only giving the autopsy report, I’ll hope when he gets to the response portion of the book he’ll be talking about the need for not only individual repentance, but corporate repentance as a solution for the selfish, sinful behavior we all have tendency for.

I’m holding out hope.

I’m past the halfway point of this short read. My halftime assessment is still positive. I think it is a good book and to be as fair as possible to Thom Rainer, I think this book does have helpful and healthy reports from the autopsy table of the deceased church.

How Many Baptists does it Take to Change a Light bulb?

Posted on December 1, 20141 Comment

(Book Review of “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” part 2. here is part 1)

The chapters are short, this make the reading easy and convenient for a day that can be broken up into short bite sized moments of reading. The reader can knock out parts of the book quickly or take smaller parts of it and reflect on the impact. Here are some quick observations of the next several chapters (good, bad and ugly parts).

Have you heard the one about “how many baptists does it take to change a light bulb?” CHANGE! did somebody say CHANGE?

We may own the implications of that stereotype, but I think we use the language of change in a dangerously risky way. The impact may achieve a startling reality check. But, I think the use of the word ‘change’ is the wrong word to use sometimes. In the chapters reviewed thus far, I get what Rainer is exposing, I just wish more care could be given to the use of the word ‘change’.

Why don’t church health books talk about repentance rather than change?

I will attempt to review critically, honestly, and carefully. This is where, if I’m not careful, I can get too critical.

Chapter 2: Slow Erosion

Do you ever return to a town you once lived in after many years of absence? True, a lot can be told of the economical condition of the region by what’s going on or not going on.

That’s true of a city.

My question would be; is that true of a church?

I think that it could be true. But what is the examination telling us? Is it noticing a decay in health or a decay in activity. I do not think the two are as interchangeable as it is purported many times. Empty rooms today may not mean a decay in health, it may, but it’s not a hard fast rule.

If it has been over 25 years since you drove through Twin Falls, Idaho my first question would be; Where have you been? Then you would notice a major shift in the city. Blue Lakes Blvd. may still be the main business route in town, but business has been shifting and moving. Go back even farther in the history of the city and you would find that the main business route has been shifting since the beginning. Not meaning unhealthy, just changing. It would likely be more noticeable in a smaller town than a place like Twin Falls, and the analogy is complicated here because city and county population here has been growing at a steady pace for many decades.

There is a lot to be said about a building. I’ve been in places that have the appearance of decay that are quite alive and I’ve been in places where the grounds and building are in prime condition, attendance has the appearance of strength and there is actually little spiritual life at all.

I appreciate what Rainer is showing, but I found the ambiguous conclusion risky for any reader. Especially a reader who is prone to the shifting winds that come with the language of “change.” This simple word is a dangerous word for churches and pastors. It’s not so much that either resist change, I think it’s more that they both thing that change is the solution to their perceived problem they pick up by reading a book. Sure, a dangerous pit for a church and pastor to be in is a pit full of pride that everything is fine and no need to change.

What would happen if the author used the biblical word, repent?

I don’t find the Lord calling his church to change, I hear the language of repentance to individuals, churches and nations.

I’m nearing a longer word count than the actual chapter I’m reviewing so I’ll close up my thoughts and ponder it a bit more with prayer and boldness from the points and questions Rainer brings up.

Chapter 3: The Past is the Hero

I think Rainer does a good job of articulating the meaning behind his use of the word ‘change.’ He’s meaning more the nostalgia of the past.

I think this was helpful for me in this respect, there are indeed things of the past that we all want repeated because it was a a special occasion. It brought about an emotion of significance, it marked a moment where adjustments were made or note worthy change in behavior took place.

It’s like many things related to the Christmas season.

At Eastside, when I first came, we did an event called the hanging of the greens. It was a tradition. It was well attended. It involved people and families that normally didn’t participate in regular church life.

It had great results, but there were few things that caused more trouble for me as pastor as this once-a-year event. Change was sure to come in how the event was handled, planned and executed. But it came slowly and painful.

We still decorate the auditorium for Christmas, but it’s a different auditorium and accomplished differently. There was literally no other event that generated more in attendance than that one event with greater disappointment in the result of the participant or attendee. This isn’t me being critical of the event or the organizers, this is an honest examination of the past. Many people talked about that great event, but there was little spiritual impact.

I get what Rainer is arguing for. That was an examination of a very popular event that was more about sentiment than doctrinal fidelity.

I still want to argue that the better word here is repent.

Anytime an individual or church replaces faith in the sufficiency of Christ with sentiment for an event or program they are in a dangerous place of offending God with their sentimental love for the hero of the past.

The same issues are argued in many churches about the ‘changing’ winds of music style, order of service, time of the gatherings, length of the service, the frequency or infrequency of something. There are many things that can be changed and doesn’t have impact on doctrine.

Chapter 4: The Church Refused to Look Like the Community

Here’s where I begin to fall into my typical cynical self. I don’t even like the title of the chapter. I found myself reading it looking for my bone of contention. I was pleasantly pleased that Rainer was not arguing for typical relevance or the church caving to the demands of the community.

His point in this simple chapter was an honest evaluation of how the church was actually reaching the neighborhood it is physically planted in. This is likely more of an urban issue than a rural matter where neighborhoods change over time. The once new neighborhood takes on a shift as other places in the city become the new neighborhoods.

There are valid points he makes about how the local church reflects the actual physical community.

I still wish there would be more clarity from the ‘field expert’. I don’t think Rainer is meaning that a church should ask the community what they want in a church. But when clarity is not given, the reader has a tendency to read into the message. I may be wrong, but I argue that Rainer knows that a church is not commissioned of God to discover what a community wants from a church as a means to grow a church. She has her orders from God to be a pillar and buttress of truth in the community. She’s not to be driven by fads and trends of churches trying to mask healthiness. She must love the community enough to be a tower of truth.

I don’t like the idea of niche churches. A church for this group, a church for this group, another church for this group. This mentality creates a self-interested church that will not survive a changing community. The only church that can really survive a changing community is a church that stays her ground and doesn’t forget her duty. Obviously this can be lost in the day too. If care is not given, this church becomes a defender of the good ‘ole days that he spoke of in the previous chapter.

It’s a fine line. I’m learning that there is a fine line between boldness and arrogance. There a thin line between sorrow and self-pity. There a thin line for a church between relevance and looking like the community.

This was a good chapter, but I still don’t like the chapter title. Even though he does a good job of articulating what he means, I think it’s too risky.

As I read over my review thus far, I hear my normal tendency to be too critical. I like what I’m reading though and largely in agreement with the autopsy report, with reservation to some language issues.

The Autopsy Room

Posted on December 1, 20143 Comments

(Book Review of, Autopsy of a Deceased Church. part 1)

I’ll confess, at first I was expecting Rainer’s book, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, to be a regular church growth book that would follow the normal predictable agenda of many others.

First, I should admit my bias. This is not reported a church growth book. That was my judgment of the book.

Second, I must admit my skeptic tendencies. It is unfair of me to assume that a book written by the CEO of a publishing house is attempting to persuade me to buy another product. I have a growing disdain for charlatans who peddle their goods to churches in a way that appears to put trust in their product, agenda, program rather than in the sufficiency of Jesus, the bride-groom of the church.

Third, I confess I love the Lord’s church dearly and I’m very concerned for her. I have no voice to any other local representation of the Lord than the very church I pastor and preach in week in and week out. She is of great interest to me, and at the same time I have a vested interest in the gospel work in the church at large. I realize that my zeal may blind me at times, and may even mislead my leading. That’s scary for this pastor to see and admit.

Thom Rainer has my attention. The introduction was technically well written; but more than this, he’s asked some questions that appear to be fair and helpful.

Just as the apostle Paul compares the church body to the human body (1 Corinthians 12) Rainer has put the (deceased) church body on the autopsy table. He describes it as uncomfortable to look at and difficult to accept the results. I felt like he was using care and caution with the buzz word “change”. This was my most appreciated sentiment I heard from him in the intro.

It’s as though I’m in the observation point, watching a skilled and compassionate physician/scientist looking for the problem with hope to share with others his findings so they might avoid some things and do other things.

Do Churches Die?

Posted on November 30, 20144 Comments

From time to time I receive free books. The sending party is not really looking for me to do a formal review or report, I expect they want me to read it, so I do. Sometimes these books are good and sometimes I put the book down hoping no one will take it seriously.

Over the weekend I received a copy of Thom Rainer’s book, “Autopsy of a Deceased Church“.

I am one of those people who do make a first judgment of a book by it’s cover. I read the book cover (front and back) before cracking the book spine and make way to one of my favorite parts of any book, the table of contents. I usually read the chapter titles out loud to anyone in the same room with me. So, Renee has just endured me reading the chapter titles.

This book is broken up into two parts. Part One: the Autopsy. Part Two: Twelve Responses

With all due respect, I’ll start the introduction before bed time and depending how that goes will determine what time I turn the light off. I’ll keep you updated.

If you’ve read this book already, feel free to share your opinion with me below. I’ll try to be kind in my review while at the same time I expect to be challenged and encouraged.

Let the reading begin…

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