Factor 6: The Church Merger Trend.
Roughly 80 percent of the 350,000 Protestant churches in the United States have plateaued or are declining. Many of these churches have empty facilities in desperate need of a vibrant ministry.
Among the 20 percent of the growing, vibrant congregations across the United States, many are in desperate need of space. This reality is catalyzing a new kind of “mission-driven” merger that is recycling old church buildings. Already, one out of three multisite campuses is the result of a church merger. I co-authored Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work with Warren Bird to help churches maximize this option.
In addition, there is a pastor succession tidal wave coming because so many Protestant pastors are approaching retirement. The next 10 years will see an annual mass exodus of senior pastors retiring or leaving their position to pursue other ministry options.
Who will fill these pulpits? The multisite model will play an increasing role in this process. I predict that we will see more senior pastors coming from campus pastors and through church mergers in the next decade. I wrote about this in more detail in a recent blog post: Succession, Multisite & Mergers.
The merger and succession trends present an opportunity to recycle and redeem a huge inventory of existing church buildings to meet the expectations of church goers today. The church buildings of the 21st century will require more high-tech and intimate worship settings, high quality community gathering spaces and cutting-edge children’s environments that are open, colorful and secure.
Shift: The church merger trend is redeeming and recycling existing church buildings for renewed use in the 21st century.
The pillars of the earth are shifting. Do you feel it? Church leaders, church architects and church building companies who can embrace these shifts will survive and thrive. Those who cannot will go the way of the dinosaur. Adapt or die. Really!
How are these trends affecting your church or church-building business?
