Recent data from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) indicated that 75 percent of Southern Baptist churches that closed in one year were in metropolitan areas with populations of more than 50,000 (namb.net). With the urbanization of the United States and migrations of people away from many rural areas, this revelation seems counterintuitive. One might think that most church closures were out in the far reaches of the county. However, this is not the case. Church revitalization must be on the top of our list for urban Baptist associations like Birmingham Metro Baptist Association.
According to information on the United Nations website, more than 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050. When churches thrive in the city, the church has a platform to influence the seat of government, politics, art, entertainment, education, and finance. Ray Bakke, in his now-classic book The Urban Christian, remarked, “Developing a theology of the city is one of the ways to survive in urban ministry. . . . The most important [aspect] is an understanding big enough to see what God is doing in the urbanization of his world and the internationalizing of his cities. I believe that this theological vision is little understood or experienced” (p. 62).
If reaching cities like Birmingham, Hoover, Trussville, Bessemer, Gardendale, Homewood, and 1.2 million in the Metro area are important to us, we have to change the way we think. The future of God’s story—a story that began in a garden—is focused on a city. Redemptive history will culminate in the New Jerusalem (Isaiah 65). Christ’s church has thrived in cities throughout the last two millennia. Here is a list of the top five most populous cities in the world: Chongqing (30,165,501), Shanghai (24,183,300), Beijing (21,707,500), Chengdu (16,044,700), and Istanbul (15,029,231). Have you spent five minutes of your life praying for Chongqing, the world’s most populous city? Did you even know that this was the world’s largest megacity? We cannot be timid and flee the city into our version of the desert caves of the monastics. We must embrace the city with the love of Jesus Christ.
In many churches, leaders are taught to interpret Scripture, study Hebrew, and Greek, and understand Old Testament customs. However, many pastors do not have the tools to interpret the city and understand the dynamics of urban life. “Pastors are not given methods of diagnosis—the capacity to survey, observe, analyze and interpret either their complex multicultural communities or their churches” (Bakke, p. 52). Leaders have to become aware of their communities to customize ministry. For instance, in gentrifying areas of Birmingham, young singles and couples often move in until they have children. Then the city spits them out into the suburbs or homogenous municipalities.
One tool that we at the BMBA use to help churches and leaders understand their surroundings is theARDA.com. The Association of Religious Data Archives, directed by Roger Finke, is the most accessible combination of religious data and the US Census. The ARDA is a free web-based resource housed at Pennsylvania State University and funded by the Lilly Endowment and other key contributors. Go and look through the website yourself. Our team would be more than happy to help you begin to interpret your surroundings by looking at ARDA data. A better understanding of your community will help your church prepare to be more strategic in making disciples.
Perhaps your church is struggling to find answers to questions like these:
How do we address the changing demographics surrounding our church?
Have we waited too long to try to make strategic changes to reach the neighborhood?
How do we continue to uphold traditions and care for facilities with decreasing numbers of attendees and little interest from those outside of the church?
Can our church make changes to help take care of the current members while reaching new people?
Do we need a stronger partner church?
How do we initiate dialogue with a partner church?
What would happen to our church building if our church had to close? How could we honor God with the legacy of our properties?
Our church was a rural or suburban church that was gobbled up into the city. How do we “catch up” to our new reality of being in the city?
How do we find resources to help a church like ours accomplish its mission?
If you have questions like these, please contact the BMBA. We would be honored to listen to your story, assess your needs, and provide guidance. Thank you for your gifts and support for the BMBA. Without your faithful giving, we could not accomplish our mission of encouraging, equipping, and engaging biblically faithful churches in the Great Commission for the glory of God.
With sincere gratitude,
Dr. Chris Crain
Executive Director of BMBA