Church as researcher or entrepreneur?

Religion in America has never been so well researched. It is not the U.S. Census Bureau that is feeding us all the facts about American religion. There is an evident American hunger for facts, and the private sector is eagerly doing the work. Religion has become one of the favorite subjects of the not-for-profit world.

A recent Christian Century article surveyed the facts of American religion and the organizations doing the work. Pew Charitable Trust, Lilly Endowment and Templeton Foundation are all pouring big money into religion research. A handful of smaller niche researchers are adding to the statistical profile of the nation’s religions. Then there are universities, like Baylor and Hartford, where there is major research being conducted in the world of religion. Add it all up and we probably know more than we want.

What do we know? Religion in America is in flux. Mainline Protestant churches are shrinking, but their social agenda, which tends to be more liberal, is gaining new advocates very rapidly. People are moving from one church to another at an incredible rate. Churches with a high birthrate are growing. Churches with a low birthrate are shrinking. A growing number of people call themselves “spiritual,” but not religious. It is popular to find a few like-minded people and start your own house church in the family room downstairs. There seems to be no need for seminary training for a minister or the formality of ordination. It is difficult to outline a profile of America’s religion. It is changing too fast.

I appreciate good research. No matter how fast things are changing, research still gives us clear snapshots of what is happening, but it has its limitations. The very best research cannot predict the future, and churches dare not plan their future looking at a rear-view mirror.

What are we to do with this abundance of information? The temptation is to look at the research and decide to do what successful, growing churches are doing. It is a copycat strategy. If it works for them, it ought to work for us. Is the future of religion to be found in marketing strategies in response to the latest research? Will the response of Christians and Christian churches be research-driven, or will it be driven by our commitment to practice a vital faith?

The Chrystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif., is in the news. It is a monument to entrepreneurial religion. While the congregation that has been worshipping in the Chrystal Cathedral is officially a part of the Christian Reformed tradition, it was established by an individual who was creative and very well-suited to the use of television.

The congregation is now more than 60 years old. The name attached to the Chrystal Cathedral is Robert Schuller rather than Jesus, the unassuming handyman from Nazareth. Famed architect Philip Johnson designed the cathedral. It will continue to be a significant stopping point for touring vacationers.

The Chrystal Cathedral is in bankruptcy. Schuller is now an old man suffering from significant dementia. The planned transfer of leadership to his children did not work. Creditors are owed millions of dollars. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange has purchased the cathedral and is planning for its remodel. The focus of the building will no longer be the pulpit of Schuller, but rather an altar of the Catholic Church.

The core of the message of Schuller was positive thinking. I always felt that Schuller’s Jesus was spelled with a small “j.” I doubt a religious institution has ever been more carefully marketed. It is the prime model for today’s mega-churches. In its heyday, the Chrystal Cathedral hosted an endless array of conferences that taught others how to do it. Schuller was a great public relations man, he knew how to crunch numbers and he took advantage of every piece of the latest sociological and psychological thinking. His legacy is bankruptcy.

How can we make sense of the flood of information that we have at hand? The facts dictate a conclusion. American church life has become mobile, chaotic and competitive. Shall we ignore the dynamics of American society? Should we act as if nothing significant is happening? Should we study the facts, join the competition and become better marketers? Have we allowed the secular world to define a successful church? As church leaders, how ought we define success?

The attraction of the researchers is that their numbers are very specific. They give us hard numbers. In this scientific age, we are attracted to verifiable numbers. Outcomes are prized.

Churches have a very special calling. Churches are not to be ordinary institutions. Our success can never be calculated in numbers, size of budget or the magnificence of our buildings. Religious people and their institutions are called upon to be distinctly different from all other earthly organizations. We are called to be truth tellers. We are ministers of reconciliation. We carry forgiveness and grace in our tool kit. We demand justice for all and offer the hope of salvation for everyone. Love and commitment to neighbor are second only to love of God.

We religious folk need to be aware of all the research that is being done. We should be highly entrepreneurial in presenting our message; however, if we ever allow social researchers to define our agenda, we are bankrupt. We just haven’t filed yet.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

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