Editorial: Churches on the Edge of Survival
One of my Facebook friends told me about the small church she attends. There are only 10 to 20 in attendance and she, 60ish, is the youngster. The church, she says, suffered a sequence of unsatisfactory pastors, and the problem with the one they have now is that he has so many churches that they see him rarely. The Sabbath School “teaching” is reading day by day through the lesson, and the discussion goes through the expected round of Adventist topics, always affirming (to an almost-empty room) that Adventists are right about everything.
Going to church isn’t an especially enjoyable experience, she admits. There is little intellectual stimulation. They don’t even have enough people to have a fellowship dinner unless she brings most of the food.
Why does she continue? “Because they need me,” she says. These old people are dear to her, and she doesn’t want to let their fellowship die. So she preaches, she teaches, she makes sure everyone is cared for.
I admire her for this. I have been the pastor of such churches. Even when you’re being paid for it—maybe especially when you’re being paid for it—it is discouraging. Week after week, church after church, I’d look around and realize that we were just hanging on the edge.
I loved the people, and wanted to serve those who were left. But it really wasn’t very encouraging.
But where do you draw the line, she wonders? Does she cancel family vacations? Does she keep preparing sermons to give to this handful? Does she hope that new people will move in and the prospects will improve? Does she try to change things?
But change is unlikely. Some of my churches said they wanted to grow, but were so set in their ways, and so starved for resources, that they simply couldn’t. Sometimes they even seemed to sabotage the addition of new members. Most of their money and effort went into keeping the old building in repair—which they will only be able to do for so long.
So I love her tenacity, but I also know that this story probably won’t have a happy ending. Most likely two or three will die, and the church will fold. The conference will sell the building, and that will be the end of it.
What would you tell her?
Loren Seibold
Executive Editor, Adventist Today
26 July 2025
ANNOUNCEMENTS & LINKS
Today’s ATSS class (1:30 PM Eastern US) with Laurence Turner
One-click link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83439050238
Passcode: GENESIS {ALL CAPS}
Previous weeks’ ATSS recordings can be accessed here.
Join our Weekly Update mailing list here.
Our donation page can be accessed here.
