Richard Kyte: Here’s why we shouldn’t give up on churches

kAmr9C:DE:2?D :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E@52J 6?;@J 8C62E6C C6=:8:@FD =:36CEJ E92? 2E 2?J E:>6 :? @FC ?2E:@?’D 9:DE@CJ] *6E :E 5@6D?’E 766= E92E H2J E@ >2?J r9C:DE:2?D 3642FD6[ 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6[ E96 :?7=F6?46 @7 p>6C:42? 49FC496D :D 564=:?:?8]k^Am

kAm}@E @?=J :D >6>36CD9:A 564=:?:?8 :? E96 >2:?=:?6 56?@>:?2E:@?D[ r9C:DE:2?D 2C6 ?@H F?56C\C6AC6D6?E65 :? @FC ?2E:@?’D >2;@C :?DE:EFE:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 F?:G6CD:E:6D[ 8@G6C?>6?E 286?4:6D 2?5 EC25:E:@?2= >65:2 @FE=6ED]k^Am

kAmpD 2 C6DF=E[ r9C:DE:2?D :?4C62D:?8=J 7:?5 E96>D6=G6D @? E96 5676?D:G6[ 92G:?8 E@ ;FDE:7J E96:C 36=:67D 2?5 AC24E:46D E@ DEC2?86CD[ 7C:6?5D 2?5 6G6? 72>:=J] xE 42? 36 5:77:4F=E E@ 6IA=2:? H9J J@F 36=:6G6 D@>6E9:?8 J@F 92G6 2=H2JD E2<6? 7@C 8C2?E65 2?5 H9:49[ F?E:= C646?E=J[ 925 H:56DAC625 D@4:2= 2446AE2?46]k^Am

kAmxE 2=D@ 42? 36 92C5 E@ 4@?G:?46 D@>63@5J H9@ 5@6D?’E 2=C625J 36=@?8 E@ 2 49FC49 E92E E96J @F89E E@ ;@:? @?6] %9:D :D 6DA64:2==J E96 42D6 H:E9 J@F?8 A6@A=6] |2?J 92G6 D:>A=J 8:G6? FA @? E96 49FC49] %96J ;FDE 5@?’E D66 :E 2D 6DD6?E:2= E@ E96:C F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 =:G:?8 2 8@@5 =:76]k^Am

kAm~?6 C62D@? :D E96 4@>A=246?4J @7 >2?J 49FC496Di 72:=:?8 E@ 7@4FD @? E96:C >:DD:@?[ :8?@C:?8 23FD6D 2?5 7@4FD:?8 >@C6 @? A@=:E:4D E92? E96@=@8J]k^Am

kAm|2?J 49FC496D x 92G6 36=@?865 E@ 92G6 925 =:G6=J 5:D4FDD:@?D 23@FE A@=:E:42==J 4@?EC@G6CD:2= E@A:4D C682C5:?8 D6IF2= @C:6?E2E:@?[ 23@CE:@?[ 6G@=FE:@?[ 4=:>2E6 492?86 2?5 G244:?2E:@?D[ 3FE C6=2E:G6=J 76H 5:D4FDD:@?D 23@FE E@A:4D 46?EC2= E@ E96 r9C:DE:2? =:76[ DF49 2D AC2J6C[ D:?[ 8C246[ 9@DA:E2=:EJ 2?5 7@C8:G6?6DD] x7 E96 49FC49 :D ;FDE @?6 A=246 2>@?8 >2?J E@ 5:D4FDD A@=:E:4D[ H9J ;@:? 2 49FC49nk^Am

kAmp?@E96C C62D@? :D E96 AC:G2E:K2E:@? @7 DA:C:EF2=:EJ] |2?J 4@?E6>A@C2CJ r9C:DE:2?D C682C5 E96:C G2=F6D 2?5 E96 36=:67D E92E 8:G6 C:D6 E@ E96> 2D 566A=J A6CD@?2=] %96J 5@ ?@E 766= 2 ?665 7@C 8F:52?46 E@ F?56CE2<6 H92E E96J E9:?< @7 2D E96:C @H? DA:C:EF2= ;@FC?6J] x7 E96J 5@ 766= 2 ?665 7@C E96 49FC49[ :E :D 2D 2 A=246 E@ >66E H:E9 A6@A=6 H9@ D92C6 E96:C A6CD@?2= G2=F6D C2E96C E92? 2D 2 A=246 E@ 7@C> 2 D6E @7 D92C65[ AF3=:4 G2=F6D]k^Am

kAmp E9:C5 C62D@? :D E92E 2? :?4C62D:?8 ?F>36C @7 p>6C:42?D 766= E92E C6=:8:@? — 6DA64:2==J E96 r9C:DE:2? C6=:8:@? — :D 2 >2=:8? :?7=F6?46 @? D@4:6EJ] r9C:DE:2?D 56?J E9:D[ @7 4@FCD6[ 3FE >2?J 92G6 =:EE=6 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 r9C:DE:2? E96@=@8J 2?5 9:DE@CJ 2?5 =:EE=6 6IA6C:6?46 @7 @E96C C6=:8:@FD 36=:67D 2?5 AC24E:46D] pD 2 C6DF=E[ >@DE r9C:DE:2?D D:>A=J :8?@C6 E96 4C:E:4D[ H9:=6 E9@D6 H9@ 4@?7C@?E E96> @7E6? 4@>6 @77 2D 2?8CJ 2?5 5676?D:G6 C2E96C E92? 4@>A2DD:@?2E6 2?5 H:D6] q@E9 2AAC@2496D 6?5 FA 3@=DE6C:?8 E96 4C:E:4D’ 4=2:>D]k^Am

kAm}6G6CE96=6DD[ x E9:?< 49FC496D[ H96? 7F?4E:@?:?8 AC@A6C=J[ 2C6 6E9:42==J :>A@CE2?E[ 3@E9 7@C E96 H6==\36:?8 @7 D@4:6EJ 2?5 7@C E96 962=E9 @7 4@>>F?:E:6D 2?5 E96 :?5:G:5F2=D H9@ 4@>AC:D6 E96>] x H:== ECJ E@ 6IA=2:? E9:D 4=2:> >@C6 7F==J :? DF3D6BF6?E 4@=F>?D[ 3FE 96C6 x H:== 3C:67=J DE2E6 H9J x E9:?< E96 6E9:42= :>A@CE2?46 @7 49FC496D :D 86?6C2==J >:DF?56CDE@@5 3J r9C:DE:2?D 2?5 ?@?\r9C:DE:2?D 2=:<6]k^Am

kAmp 8@@5 =:76 56A6?5D[ 7:CDE 2?5 7@C6>@DE[ @? E96 7@C>2E:@? @7 G:CEF6D 56G6=@A65 :? E96 4@?E6IE @7 2 4@>>F?:EJ H:E9 2 D92C65 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 H92E’D :>A@CE2?E] r@>>F?:E:6D 56G6=@A DF49 2? F?56CDE2?5:?8 49:67=J E9C@F89 E96 DE@C:6D E96J E6== 6249 @E96C[ DE@C:6D E92E 8:G6 E96> 2? :562 @7 H96C6 E96J 42>6 7C@>[ H9@ E96J 2C6 2?5 H96C6 E96J 2C6 8@:?8] %9:D AC@G:56D E96 32D:D 7@C 2 9:6C2C49J @7 G2=F6D FA@? H9:49 E96 G:CEF6D C6DE]k^Am

kAmr9C:DE:2?D 2C6 A6@A=6 @7 E96 q@@<[ 2 D6E @7 DE@C:6D 4@>:?8 5@H? E@ E96> E9C@F89 9:DE@CJ] %96J 2C8F6 :?E6C>:?23=J @G6C E96 AC64:D6 >62?:?8 @7 E9@D6 DE@C:6D[ @G6C E96 ?2EFC6 2?5 6IE6?E @7 E96:C 2FE9@C:EJ[ 2?5 23@FE E96 C6=6G2?46 @7 E9@D6 DE@C:6D E@ D:EF2E:@?D E92E 2C:D6 :? E96:C =:G6D]k^Am

kAmr9C:DE:2?D >@DE=J 28C66 @? E96 32D:4 E9:?8D E96:C DE@C:6D E6== E96>[ H9:49 :D E92E 2== A6@A=6 2C6 4C62E65 :? E96 :>286 @7 v@5 2?5[ 2D DF49[ 92G6 :?96C6?E[ :?6DE:>23=6 H@CE9] *6E A6@A=6 2C6 D:?7F=[ 72:=:?8 E@ =:G6 FA E@ E96 DE2?52C5D @7 E96:C :?E6?565 ?2EFC6] %96 DE@C:6D E6== E96> E92E DF776C:?8 2?5 562E9 7@==@H 7C@> E9@D6 72:=FC6D] s6DA:E6 E9:D[ 6G6CJ@?6 :D =@G65 3J E96:C 4C62E@C 2?5 @H6D =@G6 E@ @?6 2?@E96C] %96 DE@C:6D C62DDFC6 E96> E92E E9C@F89 =@G6 4@>6D C656>AE:@?[ 2 C6=62D6 7C@> DF776C:?8 2?5 562E9[ 2?5 6G6?EF2==J D@>6 7@C> @7 A6246]k^Am

kAm|2?J @7 E96 A6@A=6 x 92G6 <?@H? @G6C >J =:76E:>6 H9@ =:G65 C62==J C:49 2?5 >62?:?87F= =:G6D 92G6 366? 56G@FE r9C:DE:2?D] %96J 92G6 ?@E 366? A6C764E[ 3J 2?J >62?D[ 3FE E96J 92G6 2== D92C65 2 ?F>36C @7 :>A@CE2?E G:CEF6D[ :?4=F5:?8 9F>:=:EJ[ A2E:6?46[ <:?5?6DD 2?5 C6G6C6?46] x 5@?’E E9:?< E96D6 G:CEF6D 2C6 6I4=FD:G6 E@ r9C:DE:2?:EJj ?6G6CE96=6DD[ :E :D C2C6 E@ D66 E96> 4@>3:?65 :? @?6 H9@ 92D ?@E 366? D92A65 E@ 2 4@?D:56C23=6 6IE6?E 3J A2CE:4:A2E:@? :? 2 4@>>F?:EJ @7 72:E9]k^Am

kAm{:76 :D 92C5 H@C<[ 2?5 =:G:?8 2 =:76 @?6 4@?D:56CD 8@@5[ 6G6? FD:?8 @?6’D @H? DE2?52C5D @7 8@@5?6DD[ :D 6DA64:2==J 5:77:4F=E] %92E :D H9J H6 ?665 566A[ 4@?D:DE6?E[ C64:AC@42= C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9:? 2 4@>>F?:EJ @7 A6@A=6 H9@ A=6586 E@ 96=A @?6 2?@E96C]k^Am

kAmqFE 2 49FC49 :D >@C6 E92? E92E[ @E96CH:D6 :E H@F=5 36 ?@ 5:776C6?E 7C@> 2?J ?F>36C @7 D6CG:46 @C82?:K2E:@?D[ :? H9:49 A6@A=6 4@>6 E@86E96C 7@C 76==@HD9:A 2?5 E96 7FCE96C2?46 @7 A@D:E:G6 D@4:2= 6?5D]k^Am

kAmr9FC496D 2C6 AC:>2C:=J A=246D @7 H@CD9:A 2?5 C6G6C6?46[ H96C6 @?6 :D C6>:?565 @7 @?6’D C6=2E:@?D9:A E@ E96 5:G:?6 2?5 H96C6 @?6’D 36=:67D[ 2EE:EF56D[ 2?5 3692G:@CD 2C6 D92A65[ 6I2>:?65 2?5 492==6?865 :? 2 4@>>F?:EJ @7 >FEF2= 244@F?E23:=:EJ]k^Am

kAmx? 2 H@C=5 @3D6DD65 H:E9 D6=7\8=@C:7:42E:@? 2?5 E96 6I6C4:D6 @7 A@H6C[ E96 36DE 49FC496D E@52J 2C6 A=246D @7 C6G6C6?46[ H96C6 H6 =62C? E@ D66 @FCD6=G6D :? E96 =:89E @7 v@5’D =@G6]k^Am