Ancient Problems / Modern Solutions

We’ve seen it for the past decade or longer. Study after study confirms what our eyes are
telling us. More and more people are leaving mainline Protestant denominations. In the 1970s,
about four out of every ten people were affiliated with a mainline denomination. Today? Only
one out of ten. The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination,
recently noted that it had lost nearly half a million people in 2022 alone. That represented the
largest drop in over 100 years of history. When all of the large denominations are brought
together, it represents millions of people who have become a part of the “unchurched.” You may
have heard of the designation given to this new group. They are called “the Nones”—as in,
“What church do you go to?” Reply: “None.” In addition, the demographic of those walking

away from these denominations are young people. They are, in droves, abandoning their parents’
religion. There is, however, an interesting—and significant—aspect to this trend. It typically
does not apply to non-denominational churches! Thomas Gallatin made an interesting
observation:
Since the 1970s, another trend has been documented going in the opposite direction of
the mainline denominations. That trend is the growth in the number of
nondenominational Protestant churches. In fact, since the 1990s, the number of
nondenominational churches has been growing at a rate equal to or faster than the
decrease of mainline churches. As of 2021, nondenominational congregations outnumber
mainline churches.
What might explain these trends? There are likely multiple factors, but one consistent
theme seems to run across both trends—a commitment to the core biblical message of the
Gospel. In other words, biblical faithfulness leads to growing churches.
God’s Ancient Solution
For centuries men have attempted to create a better way of “doing church.” They have
devised ways that—in their way of thinking—will appeal to our modern society. That is why
there are churches that do some or all of the following: They openly embrace the LGBTQ+
mentality, employ women “pastors,” offer professional-type entertainment with bands and praise
teams, and have coffee shops and yoga classes. Sadly, we even have some in the churches of
Christ who are following and mimicking this denominational pattern. It hasn’t worked for them,
so why do they think it will work for us? However, for those who seriously study their Bibles,
they know God wants none of that. Rather, He wants us to follow what He instructed in His
Word.
First, God wants the church to honor the One who built her and died for her. The church
was a part of God’s eternal plan (Ephesians 3:10-11), built by Jesus (Matthew 16:16-18), and
purchased with His shed blood (Acts 20:28). When God said that Jesus is the “head” of the
church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23), He gave us a clear understanding of the “power structure” of the
church. We understand that our heads control our bodies. Our hands grab things because the
head told them to. Our feet walk because they were so instructed by our heads. Nothing happens
without the head—the control center—directing. Why then, would anyone want to leave the
instructions Jesus gave regarding His church? Yet when churches do the things noted above, they
do so completely and totally without authorization from Jesus. They are certainly not honoring
Jesus as the Lord and Savior.
Second, God wants the church to obey the One who built her and died for her. Those
denominations mentioned above claim to love Jesus and are following Him, but their deeds tell a
much different story. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John
14:15). The apostle John lays it out in unbelievably simple terms: “The one who says, ‘I have
come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him”
(I John 2:4). Churches today can provide no biblical support for expanded roles for women or the
acceptance of lifestyles the Bible clearly condemns. These churches can offer nothing but a re-
defined definition of “love,” and they call their ignoring of biblical truths and the accepting
everyone “loving.” Paul recognized that by telling the truth you create enemies (Galatians 4:16).
The church belongs to Christ and is committed to following him and preaching His message,
whether that message is popular or not. Abandoning the doctrine of Christ has eternal
consequences, but it is also reaping widespread departures from denominational churches.
Gallatin had an interesting comment about this point:

If people are leaving the mainline denominations because those denominations have
increasingly compromised the Gospel and have effectively abandoned true faith in Christ,
then their shrinking is a welcome sign. Likewise, if the nondenominational churches are
growing because they are faithfully teaching and preaching the Gospel, then that is great
news.
Third, God warned us that there would be religious apostasy. “But the Spirit explicitly says
that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and
doctrines of demons” (I Timothy 4:1). Peter says: 
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers
among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master
who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow
their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned and in their
greed, they will exploit you with false words” (I Peter 2:1-3).
So, since God warned us ahead of time, we ought not to be surprised that our world is full of
apostasy. However, did you notice that both Paul and Peter identified the source of the apostasy?
The people are going to depart from the truth.  
Isn’t it amazing how we seem to keep going back to the Bible? The very book that provides
the answers to today’s denominationalism is the very book that is maligned or ignored. It is the
very book that teaches what Christ’s church looks like and it is the church that will save
(Ephesians 5:25). Yet, today’s churches are infused with man’s ideas, teachings, viewpoints, and
philosophy. When that happens, those churches offer vain worship (Matthew 15:8-9) and are no
longer recognized by Jesus as His church (Revelation 2:5).

denny@rockymountainchristian.com