A recent article I read starts out:
A widening shortage of clergy is straining U.S. churches, with seminary enrollment falling, congregations closing, and a record share of Americans claiming no religion, according to data from theological accreditors, federal labor statistics, and Pew Research Center. (You can read the article at https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/pastor-shortage-catholic/2026/05/10/id/1255795/)
It goes on to share some of the results.
- Master of Divinity enrollment is down 14%.
- Enrollment from Black Protestant denominations is down 31%.
- Over 40% of clergy in 2023 said they had seriously considered leaving their churches.
- Over 50% had thought about leaving the ministry altogether.
- 29% of U.S. adults now identify as religiously unaffiliated.
- Religious consultants estimate that up to 15,000 churches closed in 2025.
These kinds of statistics portray a really serious and sad state of affairs in the Christian community. But why is this happening?
In one way, it is reflective of what is going on generally in society. There is a large segment of the population that is actively promoting all manner of immorality, law breaking, and hate. They do it not simply as a form of rebellion, but with a fervor that comes from their spiritual core. It is an outward expression of the religious beliefs and values that they hold. And these are based on their core worldview beliefs.
As society in general has moved in that direction, the statistics above are not at all surprising. In fact, many of the people who have moved in that downward direction used to be more religiously inclined and more favorable to a moral and orderly society. So what changed?
Well, on the one hand, everyone is responsible for their own decisions, and those who have chosen to move away from God and promote sin and immorality will ultimately be held accountable for their choices. On the other hand, Christians have really dropped the ball.
There are, of course, many, many committed and faithful Christians who are doing the right thing. They are not only serving actively in their churches and remaining faithful to their commitment to Christ, but are vigorously working to share Him with a world spiraling out of control. That said, the church, as an institution, is not getting the job done. And what is lacking is not so much the desire to do more, but the kind of equipping that can help the masses of believers become effective to the point of actually turning things around.
So, what exactly is missing? What is missing is a strong, deliberate effort on the part of the church to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). Of course, some equipping happens naturally in the process of operating the regular and ongoing church programs – worship service, Bible study, etc. But for most people, that is quite a passive process and provides relatively shallow training.
So, what is needed? What is needed is a deliberate and more in-depth discipleship training effort. I know, that is much easier said than done. There are many reasons you see very little of it in most churches:
- time constraints,
- lack of vision among church leadership,
- lack of interest and participation by church members,
- difficulty in obtaining good discipleship training materials,
- lack of knowledge about what kind of training is needed,
- church priorities that move in a different direction,
- lack of mature leadership,
- lack of trained leadership,
- narrow understanding of what genuine discipleship training involves,
- and we could probably go on.
That said, there is one thing that supercedes all of the above – a commitment to the task. I have observed, and even found in my own life, that when a person is determined to make something a priority, they will find a way to make it happen.
It is a sad fact that promoting discipleship training in a church is the most difficult thing to incorporate into a church program. For one, it requires more effort on the part of both leaders and church members to incorporate that kind of training in the church programming. That kind of thing simply is not a passive activity. People have to have a commitment to it and be willing to devote time and effort – both leadership and lay members.
Even beyond that, it is personal. Individuals have to be not only committed to the study, but also have a willingness to genuinely and actively express it in their lives. Wearing Christ on your shirt sleeves in daily life is not for the faint at heart. Many people are not willing to do that for various reasons.
The church is in decline because the large majority of self-identified Christians are not becoming active disciples of Christ. They are allowing those who are anti-Christian to dominate society without having any push back. And as long as that is the case, the decline will continue.
Freddy Davis is the president of MarketFaith Ministries. He is the author of numerous books entitled The Truth Mirage, Rules for Christians Radicals, Liberalism vs. Conservatism, and his latest book Shattering the Truth Mirage and has a background as an international missionary, pastor, radio host, worldview trainer, and entrepreneur. Freddy is a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Communication, and holds MDiv and DMin degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a popular speaker, particularly on the topic of worldview and its practical implications for the Christian life. He lives in Tallahassee, FL, with his wife Deborah.
You may also contact Freddy at Leadership Speakers Bureau to schedule him for speaking or leadership engagements.
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