Numbers
of gifted persons and organizations have studied the phenomenon of the
church “back door,” the metaphorical way we describe people leaving the
church. And there will always be the anticipated themes of relocation or
personal crises. We should recognize those issues, though we can
respond to the latter more than the former.
But all the research studies of which I am aware, including my own,
return to one major theme to explain the exodus of church members: a
sense of some need not being filled.
In other words, these members have
ideas of what a local congregation should provide for them, and they
leave because those provisions have not been met.
Certainly we recognize there are many legitimate claims by church
members of unfulfilled expectations. It can undoubtedly be the fault of
the local congregation and its leaders.
But many times, probably more than we would like to believe, a church
member leaves a local body because he or she has a sense of
entitlement. I would therefore suggest that the main reason people leave a church is because they have an entitlement mentality rather than a servant mentality.
Look at some of the direct quotes from exit interviews of people who left local congregations: Continue at Thom Rainer
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