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Rainer on Leadership

The Great Dechurching: An Interview with Jim Davis and Michael Graham

Dec 12, 2023
Jim Davis and Michael Graham discuss their book 'The Great Dechurching' and explore the reasons behind people leaving the church. They examine prevailing narratives, revealing the impact of media and personal priorities. The podcast delves into the largest religious shift in history and the surprising impact of inviting someone to church. They also discuss the mental health needs within the de-church community and the potential impact on future church practices.
27:51

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The biggest reason people leave churches is due to casual factors such as moving, inconvenience, marriage or family changes, and other priorities, debunking prevailing narratives attributing the exodus to church mistakes or ideological differences.
  • Many de-churched individuals, especially mainstream evangelicals and ex-vangelicals, are open to returning to church if invited, highlighting the importance of outreach and intentional intervention to bring them back into the fold.

Deep dives

The prevailing narratives around people leaving the church

The podcast discusses the prevailing narratives about why people have been leaving churches. These narratives differ depending on a person's political views. Left-leaning narratives attribute the exodus to church mistakes like racism and clergy scandals, while right-leaning narratives blame secular progressivism. However, a more comprehensive view reveals that the biggest reason people leave is due to casual factors such as moving, inconvenience, marriage or family changes, and other priorities.

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