Why Call This Virus the Church Shrinkage Movement?

Question: Why do you call it the Church Shrinkage Movement?

Answer: Why do you call it the Church Growth Movement?

Question: What do you mean, responding to a question with a question?

Answer: Have I done that?

Question: Yes.

Answer: The Church Growth Movement, according to C. Peter Wagner, your mentor, has been a complete failure. Sure, many Lutherans (Olson, Oelhaven, Valleskey, Werning, Hunter, Roth, Kelm.Dan, Kelm.Paul, Parlow, Bivens, Kuske, Mueller, Stolzenburg) have made a career out of CGM. Their synods have lost droves of members while plunging toward bankruptcy, exposed by the benchmarks (money and members) they value the most.

Question: But overall?

Answer: There has been no positive change in American Christianity. People have tended to move from little congregations to big box operations. The few mega-churches which do not blow up from scandal are simply sheep-stealing and sheep-slaughtering on a large scale. The Church Shrinkage Movement has not benefited the Christian faith in the broadest sense. The Church Shrinkage Movement has hollowed out every congregation and denomination it has preyed upon.