Despite the almost mantra-like status of the statement "people are leaving the church" there still appears to be little understanding about who is leaving, when they leave, why they leave, and what happens to them and their faith after they leave. Of course everyone has their own view on these issues but few, especially our church leaders, have taken the time to sit down and talk with an actual leaver or two.

It is much easier dealing with stereotypes than actual people, even if the stereotypes don't help us understand what is really going on. For those interested in moving beyond the stereotypes and asking: "Who are these people who are leaving our churches?" an examination of some myths about church leavers may prove helpful.

Myth ONE

It is only the traditional mainline churches that have large numbers of leavers. While it is true that people are leaving the traditional churches1 people are also leaving evangelical, charismatic and Pentecostal churches. These are the churches which have been growing both in New Zealand and overseas. They are the churches which - with their focus on overt biblical teaching, vibrant worship and greater opportunities for participation - have attracted many young converts as well as those disillusioned with the traditional churches.

However, these growing churches also have a 'back door'. Estimates as to how large this back door is vary depending on who you're talking to. But studies like those done by Elaine Bolitho on the back door in the Baptist churches in New Zealand have shown something of the degree of loss in these so-called 'growing' churches.

Bolitho's study looked at membership figures for the Baptist churches.2 She found that between 1989 and 1996 the Baptist churches of New Zealand had a small overall membership decline (from 23,601 members to 23,031). However during this period over eleven thousand new members were added to Baptist churches. Taking into account those who died and the fact that Baptist churches had transferred more people in than out, she found that 10,118 members were 'lost' without record.

This means that for those seven years (1989 to 1996) the net result was a loss of 570 people - a percentage loss of 108% of new members. In effect this means that for every one hundred new members added to the Baptist churches of New Zealand one hundred and eight left. These leavers could not be accounted for as moving to another church or dying.

This was a substantial increase in back door leavers from previous periods between 1948 and 1988, for which Bolitho provided comparative figures.3

Figures from Pentecostal churches also point to a large number of church leavers. The Apostolic Church in New Zealand figures, for example, have shown dramatic recent growth, but a closer look at the figures also indicate a steady back door loss rate of approximately 10% per annum.4 If Bolitho's findings and those from the Apostolic church are replicated in other groupings of evangelical, charismatic and Pentecostal churches it indicates that there is a sizeable number (perhaps even a growing number) of leavers from these churches.

read the rest of the myths here http://www.reality.org.nz/articles/32/32-jamieson.html