Why are millennials leaving the Church? A recent report by the Arizona Christian University found that four out of ten millennials are either atheists or apathetic towards God. This is significant as it represents the spiritual pandemic that is afflicting the U.S. After reading the report and numerous articles on the topic, Illuminating Faith decided to present a more thorough analysis of why some millennials are leaving the Church and abandoning God. We see the issue to be based on two primary factors, all of which are based on the state of the Church:
1) Churches in America have merged with contemporary culture, adopting secular ideologies, and diluting the core of the Gospel which is “Without Christ there is no salvation”.
2) Individual believers are distracted and ill-equipped to engage in spiritual warfare. They are not mature in the faith, and they differ in no way from the unsaved.
Let’s begin with the state of the Church. Where is the body of Christ today? Well, for the past 100 years, the West (especially in Europe), secularism and atheism (influenced by Marxism) has increased which has resulted in the demise of the faith. Sexual liberation, moral relativism, and the Woke – social justice movements have legitimized a new secular morality which has replaced God and the Bible. Now, the whole world is plagued with this trend, especially in the US where it’s affecting millennials and proceeding generations. An example of this moral depravity include sin being irrelevant, as the definition has been revised, and what you do is your business. As a matter of fact, sin is “actually racist or bigoted”, therefore it’s not a valid term and definition for today’s society that pursues moral relativism. Furthermore, you can no longer speak out against sexual immorality because that is considered hath speech. Essential what was once good is bad and bad, good. Thus, churches both in Europe and North America have acquiesced to this dominant force in fear of legal, political, economic, or social backlash from organizations that terrorize individuals/groups into conforming to the new standard. Rather than speaking out against this Godless movement, churches have largely remained silent and kept to themselves. Some have even joined these movements, thinking that “social justice” accurately represents the God and the Bible.
This plague has consumed church leadership across the US, as many Pastors are primarily concerned about increasing numbers and generating more “revenue”, rather than preaching the unadulterated Gospel message of salvation. Instead they embrace this cancerous ideology for the sake of “inclusivity” and believe that they can attract more attendees if they absorb culture. Moreover, preaching that Christ is the only way to salvation is considered bigoted and in some cases even hate speech. The Gospel conflicts with this new age philosophy and moral relativity. Churches must teach the true message of salvation, engage in Christian training from Ephesians chapter 6 – Armor of God, teach about the reality of spiritual warfare, and prepare the flock to be the ambassadors of Christ and the salt and light.
Regarding the second reason, it’s both dependent and independent of reason number one? Faith in God begins in the home, and if parents don’t teach their children about God, children will occupy their spiritual void with secular garbage. Therefore, parents must instruct their children from a young age, teaching them about the Lord, salvation, prayer, and discipline in the faith. These crucial factors must be enacted by parent as the role model, leading by example. When parents don’t fulfill their duties, you either produce a non-believer or a weak Christian. The weak Christian won’t be able to withstand the pressure from spiritual attacks and will eventually cave into temptation. A double standard or lukewarm Christian interacts with the world and misrepresents Christ, bringing unnecessary criticism to the faith. This type of Christian adds fuel to the fire of the enemy’s arsenal. They don’t realize that their actions and speech are under close observation.
We believe that due to these two global factors, more millennials are leaving the church or are simply not interested in the faith. While some may attempt to blame the Gospel, the reality is that the Gospel has and will always prevail. If the message is taught in an unadulterated manner, true to the Lord, the Holy Spirit will convict the sinner, and bring them to faith. Additionally, when parents do their part by raising Godly children, those children will live a disciplined life in the faith committed to God. As such, churches will be equipped with steadfast and persevering believers, whom will be further trained in the church to boldly represent Christ to the world. Do your part and be the true salt and light and represent Christ honorably each day. If you haven’t already received Christ, and wish give your life to Him, pray this prayer: Lord Jesus I know that I am sinner and I ask you forgive me of my sins. I believe that you were crucified for my sins and through your blood I have redemption and salvation. Please come into my heart and I receive you as my God. I pray in Jesus name. AMEN
