Politics and The Vanishing Church

Where Has the Mainline Taken Us?

By J. Jeff Toler for Shenandoah Christian Alliance  j.toler@sca4christ.org

• “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18 NKJV)

It all begins with the National Review article, “The Hollowing Out of an American Church” by Joseph Bottum. [https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2024/08/the-hollowing-out-of-an-american-church/] Specifically, the American church to which he’s referencing, are the Mainline churches that once were at the peak of their ascendancy in mid-twentieth century.

Bottum’s essay begins with a picture of three iconic churches built many years ago: Grace Episcopal in Utica, New York, Congregational church in Fort Pierre, South Dakota, and one church I know pretty well, living as I did in the greater Los Angeles area: the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles on Westmorland Avenue.

“Take any of these or thousands of others.” He writes, “This was America, once upon a time: a land of churches one after another down the leafy streets of small towns. Or the run of churches up 16th Street NW, in Washington, D.C., from the White House to the Maryland border. Or the many spires that slip by along the Main Line railroad (the original reference in the phrase “Mainline Protestantism”) that connects Philadelphia to its wealthy northwest suburbs.”

These churches—or more accurately the denominations to which they belonged: Northern Baptists, the Disciples of Christ, the Congregationalists (later merging with a set of German Reformed churches to create the United Church of Christ), the Episcopalians, the Lutherans, the Methodists, and the Presbyterians, represented 50% of the American population! By 2020, the most recent year complete data is available, these mainline churches now only represent roughly 9%. Realistically, the number is even smaller since now, after the COVID catastrophe closed the doors of hundreds more—many of which, never reopened.

The vanishing churches in America once steered a “national vocabulary: a way to understand ourselves outside political struggles and economic exchanges.”

The unintended consequence—not at all surprisingly—is the vanishing cultural footprint of these churches, only to exacerbate the political and economic divisions that have certainly now become nation-threatening. 

We must be careful to avoid making any claim that any church should engage in political activism. Historically, at least, it’s not a good idea for an important reason. It’s already in the past become an open invitation to both critics of the church, and critics of any prevailing political party who attempt politicizing important Christian issues. To the surprise of no one, abortion is owned by the liberal left, so much so, that the most significant victory over abortion activism—the SCOTUS ruling that struck down Roe v. Wade—is just not winning ballot initiatives in most states as many hoped and predicted it would. 

What is important however, is the church should not give up; always willing, able, and equipped for influencing the culture—the headwaters from which politics flows. But are we? We must not be fooled into thinking that because something has always been culturally taboo, that it always will be. This one reason, may explain why Mainline churches are becoming increasingly irrelevant. 

But the ecclesia, the Body of Christ, should not be anything even approaching irrelevant. Faithful Christian converts should understand that more than anyone. So, why are all but two major denominations in America on the decline in both membership and attendance?

Aaron Earls, [March 6, 2019] writing for Lifeway Research gives us some clues, “A new study from Exponential by Lifeway Research found 6 in 10 Protestant churches are plateaued or declining in attendance and more than half saw fewer than 10 people become new Christians in the past 12 months.”

“‘Growth is not absent from American churches,’ said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. ‘But rapid growth through conversions is uncommon.’” [https://research.lifeway.com/2019/03/06/how-many-us-churches-are-actually-growing/] (emphasis added)

Compare growth through conversions with growth through transfers, and the issue should come into focus. There are very few churches or denominations in America that are exhibiting growth. One is the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination—a significant part of the Holiness Movement, (56%) and another is the Baptists. (45%)

If going by the numbers seems superficial or temporal in some way, what other metrics should we consider? I’m more than a little familiar with how pastors will ask one another, “How many are you running each week?” But is there another question they are asking as well? How about, “How many conversions or commitments through evangelism and discipling?” 

In the world today there are a great number of signs that might be significant for any Christian, but most certainly for the Evangelical, who, being reliant on the scriptures, knows full well that biblical end-times prophesy predicted what he is seeing now. 

Pagans are always critical of the Christian church… always determined to defame her any way they can. 

For example, why did the organizers of the opening ceremonies of the Paris Summer Olympics believe it was important to blaspheme the Lord’s Supper? [https://rumble.com/v58pb11-raw-egg-nationalist-open-ceremony-of-paris-olympics-take-bizarre-rituals-ta.html] A key indicator of any culture is when the wicked openly parade their depravity.

Church leaders and pastors are increasingly accepting woke ideologies, open homosexuality, and the trans-gendered into their flock. Why? Megan Basham, (pictured) author of the newly released “Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda,” throws the light on the growing number of Evangelical churches embracing the most un-Christian, un-biblical beliefs, and twisted doctrines. It’s available now on Amazon Books. Please check it out.

Basham documents how “progressive powerbrokers—from George Soros, to the founder of eBay, to former members of the Obama administration—set out to change the American church. Their goal: to co-opt evangelicals for political purposes.” Why do most conservative Christians shy away from politics? 

There should be no confusion in our messaging: no woman should ever consider abortion; no father should ever accept the mutilation of his daughter—for any reason. Being winsome and welcoming does not mean accepting woke ideologies, open homosexuality, and the trans-gendered. We must repent if we do. Remember: repentance seems to matter to our Savior.

• “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11b NIV)

100 years ago, the old mainline churches reflected a culture gradually adapting to increasing social pressures—specifically liberalism in the church. The only thing that’s changed since then, when fundamentalists, like J. Gresham Machen, were in conflict with liberalists like Harry Emerson Fosdick is this: the issues haven’t simply worsened, they’ve done so at breakneck speed.  [ref: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sermon-divided-america/] 

• “Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19 ESV)