At Alfred Street Baptist Church, Alexandria, Virginia, the pews start to fill more than half an hour before the service begins. White-uniformed ushers guide African-Americans of all ages to their seats. Some stand and wave their hands in the air as the large, robed choir begins to sing.
The church recently started its fourth weekend service. So many people attend, church leaders are now asking people to limit their attendance to one service.
“Pick your service,” said Edward Y. Jackson, an assistant to the pastor, at the start of a recent service. “Come in, come early, get your parking space so we can all enjoy and worship God together.”
A recent Pew Research Center survey found that Christians are losing their share of the U.S. population, dropping to 71 percent in 2014, down from 78 percent in 2007, with young people leading the exodus. But historically black denominations have bucked that trend, holding on to a steady percent of members during that same period.
Historic role
There are numerous reasons why some black churches retain their members.
Members and visitors at Alfred Street Baptist say the church’s holistic ministry — the preaching, the singing and the community outreach — are what draw them in and keep them there.
Outreach is certainly an important part of the growth at The Life Center Church, Anniston, in Calhoun Baptist Association, according to Pastor Eugene Leonard Jr. The church meets at a local community center and averages 50-plus in Sunday worship. The church’s nontraditional setting helps community members feel more comfortable as does the church’s “come-as-you-are” approach to the gospel.
“We’re in the neighborhoods every week, asking people if they go to church and if not, why?” Leonard said. “We emphasize that we don’t have much but we have Jesus and we want you to have Him too.”
The majority of members at Life Center are in their 30s and 40s, Leonard said. Many have experienced “church hurt” and are stepping back into church cautiously. Leonard believes Life Center’s casual dress policy and multicultural attendance provides an inviting atmosphere for younger adults and families to hear the gospel.
“We strive to meet people where they are. We don’t dress up so visitors don’t feel like they have to go out and buy Sunday church clothes. We want them to know they can come as they are because it’s not about your clothes, it’s about your soul. That’s our motto,” Leonard said.
When it comes to reaching the lost, the racial makeup of the church doesn’t make much difference, Leonard said. A growing church must be Great Commission-minded yet willing to keep an eye on the culture and change the way the message is communicated, he said.
“When I was growing up we didn’t have remote controls, cellphones or laptops. If I can change with the times in my personal life, why is it such a problem for the Church to change with the times?” he said. “Look around. Everything changes. I always say the seven last words of a dying church are ‘we’ve never done it like that before.’”
Remaining relevant in the community is a challenge all churches face, said D’Linell Finley, pastor of Southlawn Baptist Church, Montgomery, and director of Samford University’s Ministry Training Institute in Tuskegee. Relevance is good both for growing and maintaining membership, he said.
“The main focus is to advance the gospel, but where you can get out in the community and talk to people or work with others in terms of things like poverty and education, it makes a difference. People see that and they appreciate it,” he said.
Societal issues
Kip Banks, who previously served as interim general secretary of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, said societal issues such as police brutality as well as efforts to be relevant to millennials — from live-streamed services to marriage and mentoring ministries — continue to draw African-Americans to black churches.
“The Church has always spoken to these issues and the Church is addressing these issues,” he said. “The black church is the place that’s always affirmed African-American life.”
But Banks and others say black churches are not immune to some of the declines experienced by Christianity in general.
Jerry Young, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., said, “There are some of our churches that are doing extraordinarily well in terms of captivating and being able to minister to young people. And then there are a number of our churches that also are suffering.”
Disaffiliation
Like the rest of the U.S. population some African-Americans are disaffiliating. The Pew survey found that 18 percent of African-Americans describe their religious affiliation as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” compared with 12 percent in 2007. The share of U.S. blacks who fit in the “nones” category rose at about the same rate as the general population, said Greg Smith, associate director of research at Pew.
The key to overcoming the rise in “nones” is building tradition and loyalty, Finley said.
“We have to get young people in and let them grow older here, so they can claim ownership. If you’re going to successfully reach out into the community around you, you have to have individuals who have been in the church a while, who are confident in their witness and who know how to lead people to Jesus,” he said. (TAB, RNS)
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