Christian Hope Amidst Numerical Decline

By Evan Scamman

At the rebuilding of the temple following the Babylonian captivity, Scripture records that many of the older generation wept aloud (Ezra 3:12). They had seen the first temple and remembered its former glory, now lost forever.

Such is the case for many within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod today. The older saints among us reminisce about a time when there was standing room only on Easter morning. They remember confirmation classes of 30 or more. They speak with fondness tinged with sorrow of how the parish used to hum with activity throughout the week. But no longer. Today, the church building is in disrepair, the old-timers have gone on to heaven, and the younger folks have moved away. Those who remain feel the sense of loss acutely even as they worry about the future of their beloved church.

If any of this strikes a chord within your heart, I would like to offer some words of Christian comfort. In the first place, remember that the church does not, in fact, belong to us. We are members of the body, yes. But our Head is Christ. He is the church’s Builder and Maker. You may have labored long in the fields of the Lord, but never forget that they are His fields. He will ensure the harvest. One man plants, another waters, but God alone brings the increase, where and when He pleases. Remember, it’s not your business to make the church grow, however much you wish to see your local parish thrive. Instead, your task is to remain faithful to Christ and His Word.

Jesus has promised to build His church, and so He does. The church cannot fail! But this promise does not mean that Grace Lutheran Church in Plainsville, Iowa, will continue forever. Nor, for that matter, will The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Congregations have a natural lifespan. Buildings eventually crumble into dust. Institutions drift away from their purpose. Where is the First Church of Jerusalem, founded by Christ through the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost? That congregation no longer exists. And yet, the one Church of Christ continues today, stronger and greater than ever before.

Consider this: You are part of the Church Militant. And what is your job? To be faithful unto death, until you are transferred to the Church Triumphant. For all the hand wringing about numerical decline within our Synod, the Church Triumphant only ever grows! Every time we hold a funeral, the church grows. Even should your little parish bury its last living member and then close its doors forever, the church of God grows!

On December 18, 2022, we held our final service at First Lutheran Church in Greenwich, Conn. For 80 years, the saints had gathered there to hear the words of Christ and receive the Sacraments. For the past 10, First Lutheran had been part of a dual parish; but now the two parishes were about to become one. We stripped the altar, as on Maundy Thursday, removing every sacred object and utensil from the chancel. Then, following the processional cross, the entire congregation, including the sole surviving charter member, processed out, singing, “Built on the Rock the Church shall stand, even when steeples are falling…” We locked the doors with the final stanza. It was profoundly moving. Many were openly weeping — even some who had only been worshiping there for a few years.

Was this closing of our doors a failure? By no means. For 80 years Christ stood among the people of First Lutheran as they gathered around His Words. Hundreds who came through those doors have now been transferred from this vale of tears to join the Church Triumphant. This is no failure. This is mission accomplished! And now the mission of God continues in another place and another time until the last of the saints has been safely ushered home.

Many of our congregations have difficult choices to make in the years ahead. Some will be given a way forward, as was the case in Greenwich, where two struggling congregations merged to form a single, stable parish. Others will have no choice but to close their doors. But this is not cause for panic. It is not reason, as we have sometimes done, to discard our hymnody and liturgy or to employ desperate and cringeworthy gimmicks. Yes, it is understandable to grieve at the closing of a parish; but remember that every church building on earth, however beloved it may be, is a temporary haven. Our true home is in heaven, and our true membership is with the Church Triumphant.

But as long as we remain on earth, take comfort in this: Where two or three are gathered in His name, there Christ stands among us, as He has promised. Where the Word of God is preached in truth and purity and where the Sacraments are rightly administered, there is the true church on earth. And no matter how feeble or small she may appear to mortal eyes, the church that our Lord has built stands glorious and terrible throughout the ages.

Photo: LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford