The weekend edition’s religious section (Marietta Times Sept 29-Oct 1) featured an interesting article by the Associated Press. While the setting is western Ohio, the same trends are seen across the state. I don’t necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the article, but as a whole it is well worth the time to read:
CARLISLE – Many of Ohio’s small, rural churches are fading – even dying – as their congregations age and younger generations find other ways and places to worship.
The United Methodist Church, with the bulk of its churches in towns of under 50,000 or in the country, illustrates one measure of the decline: Total membership in western Ohio slipped one-third between 1980 and 2004, from 352,348 to 237,374.
“There’s a church in our conference that has a McDonald’s Playland in it,” said Pat Hiegel, a member of the 195-year-old McKendree United Methodist Church in eastern Miami County, where worship attendance two weeks ago stood at 13 people. “These little country churches don’t offer that. McKendree does not offer guitars and drums and that type of music. It’s very traditional, very conservative. People today have to be entertained.”
Topscott Primitive Baptist Church in Carlisle organized in 1814 and closed in 2003. In the village of Casstown, the Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1827, closed in 2002.
Many of these churches are unsure of how to change with the times or whether they should embrace change at all. Some see a tension inherent in trying to keep the church relevant to younger generations, yet reverent to God.
“You get a quality of irreverence with the casual dress of pastors, roc ‘n’ roll music and high tech equipment that’s transforming the way many growing churches across the Miami Valley worship,” said Elder Eddie Garrett, 73, who heads a membership of about 15 at the Thompson Memorial Primitive Baptist Church in Franklin. “It takes away from the spirituality of the service.”
But Mike Slaughter, 55, senior pastor at Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church near Tipp City, one of the region’s largest churches, offers a different view.
“Jesus was considered irreverent,” he said. “Whatever the traditions of the religious people were, he violated those traditions. What he showed was true faith is how you treat people, how you made God make sense to people.”
Churches assume a primary role in building relationships and trust among people, especially in the countryside and in small towns, said Mark Partridge of Ohio University’s rural-urban policy program.
“They’re part of the glue that holds the community together,” Partridge said.
One of the area’s oldest surviving churches, McKendree, was founded in 1811 and held its services in a log cabin. Attendance reached about 80 to 100 people in the 1860’s and hovered around 60 in the 1940’s.
Today, two elementary pupils and one high school student attend McKendree, Hiegel said. The rest of those in attendance – typically about 15 people – range in age from mid-40’s to 90’s.
“It used to be churches were the only thing there was,” Hiegel said. “Now kids are so busy with soccer and football that churches just…,” she said, her words drifting off. “It’s a sad situation.”
Pastor Tim Reeves, who coordinates a United Methodist program that provides funding and educational programs, said rural congregations sometimes lack the resources to maintain aging churches, and to hire and keep a good pastor. In the Methodist church system, for example, it can cost 30 to 40 percent more to hire ordained elders instead of local pastors, who often have other jobs.
Garrett, whose small Primitive Baptist congregation shuns even instrumental accompaniment during hymns, sees another reason for exponential growth at larger churches.
Anonymity is appealing,” he said. “You get lost. Nobody knows your business. What they want is a religious country club. I pay my dues, and nobody says anything beyond that. That attracts the crowds.”
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