August 29, 2010

Last Sunday, which was my last Sunday on sabbatical, I attended St Paul Lutheran Church in Whittemore, Iowa. My dad grew up in this church. This is where he was confirmed. My grandma and great grandparents’ funerals were held in this church.

St. Paul’s is a beautiful old church, which this year is celebrating its 125th Anniversary. The congregation has 201 members and average weekly worship attendance of 65.

I couldn’t get the statistics from the LCMS webpage to work very well, but clearly this church has declined a lot since my dad was a child more than 50 years ago. He remembers a time when the congregation had more than one service on Sundays and when if you were late for a service you had to sit in the balcony because the main level would be too full. The main level looks like it could easily seat 200-300 people.

So imagine a congregation with seating for 250 people with 50 people scattered in the back half of the pews. There is a great distance between the people and the preacher. The singing is weak. The sense of community suffers. And even with no mortgage, I imagine it’s hard to keep the bills paid: salaries, maintenance on the building, mission and ministry.

The decline of a rural church in Iowa may be sad, but it’s no scandal or surprise. Rural Iowa and its small towns have lost a lot of their population in the last 125 years. Of course their churches have too.

But what should be done with struggling and shrinking congregations? Should they be closed by their denomination or allowed to wither away?

I think the decision finally belongs to the congregation. They can be a congregation as long as they have the will and the means to function. When they no long have the will or the means they will cease to be a congregation.

But while a congregation shrinks in size, they also have an opportunity to adjust their life to accommodate a new smaller reality. It’s like your elderly parents moving into a smaller home or a family getting rid of the minivan when they no longer have small children to transport.

If the sanctuary is too large, remove some of the pews. If a congregation can’t afford a full-time pastor, find a congregation that will share a pastor. If a congregation can no longer fully utilize their building, share the space with someone else: another congregation or a daycare center.

A declining congregation can be a sad place to worship, but congregations like people can find new life even in a time of decline. Plus, 125 years is nothing to sneeze at. I’m thankful for St Paul Lutheran Church.

Pastor