They irritate many pastors, who label them "consumers." Church leaders have characterized them as immature, shallow, goosebump-seekers with a serious case of arrested spiritual development. Are church hoppers people with commitment issues who sample the congregations as if they were visiting one free-range church potluck?
Church hoppers get a bum rap, and it's time for us to seriously consider these believers and why they struggle to maintain a long-term relationship with a local body.
Yes, there are some church hoppers who fit the consumer stereotype, imbibing from a variety of different churches according to their felt needs rather than committing themselves wholeheartedly to a single congregation. There are plenty of church hoppers on a quest to find the mythical "perfect" church.
C.S. Lewis' scribe demon, Screwtape, offers this bit of coaching to his young protégé on how to sabotage the life of a believer: "If a man can't be cured of churchgoing, the next best thing is to send him all over the neighborhood looking for the church that 'suits' him until he becomes a taster or connoisseur of churches."
Experts offer church leaders advice on how to assimilate these wandering sheep. Others recommend ways pastors can rid themselves of church hopping "parasites." Through the years, I've heard pastors ascribe church hopping to character flaws, discipleship failures, lack of maturity, or flaccid faith.
But curiously, congregants aren't the only ones moving around. Various studies cite the tenure of the average senior pastor ranging from two and a half years to seven years or more, and the reasons pastors leave their churches frequently echo the reasons given by exiting congregants.
There are church members with shallow, immature belief whose faith may fade when faced with a church split or disruption. They've decided the mess and stress of body life is more trouble than it's worth, and the hop stops.
Our perseverance is the context for Hebrews 10:24-25, often used by pastors to challenge members to commit to a church: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." The passage refers to some who have downshifted to church-free lives, but also offers us a helpful way to support other church hoppers.
The commitment to meet together may be a mark of spiritual maturity; however, plenty of church-goers maintain their affiliation solely for family or social reasons. Those still on the search for a church often have a backstory, whether a conflict at a former congregation, a moral misstep they are trying to hide or any number of reasons.
My husband and I have been through periods of church hopping during our 33-year marriage. It would have been more pleasant to skip the Sunday morning visitor routine and go out for brunch or take a hike, but our desire for community and meaningful corporate worship trumped our newbie fatigue every time.
I currently have several friends who might be characterized as church hoppers. These wanderers do long to stay put, but face steep challenges when it comes to finding a church home. Consider:
- A congregational lay leader has become burnt out after years of church politics at his former church. Every new church he visits triggers grief and suspicion; some after just one visit, others after he sojourns there for a few months. He isn't giving up, as he knows that the healing will happen in the context of healthy community.
- After a relocation to a family-centered far-flung suburb, a pair of childless 20-somethings can't seem to get past being the "new people" in the two churches they've tried for about six months each. They've chalked their outsider status up to the fact that they don't have children, which seem to be the key to cracking into these congregations' social circles.
- A single mom of a teen with special needs can't find a church hospitable to both her divorced status and her son's physical and emotional challenges. It would be much simpler if she gave up her church search, but she continues to visit churches when she can because she is longing for spiritual support.
Despite a negative experience with a toxic church, despite loneliness, despite facing a lack of hospitality or ministry resources, each of these friends continues their hop with the hope of finding a church home.
They have not "given up on meeting together." Their persistent and prolonged church searches fully capture the spirit of those words penned to the dispersed Hebrew believers in the first century.
Martin Luther said, "Anyone who is to find Christ must first find the church. How could anyone know where Christ is and what faith is in him unless he knew where his believers are?" Sometimes it takes a marathon of church hopping to find them.
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KAZIMIERZ BEM
I first encountered church-hopping when I moved from Poland to the West during college. Before I came I was confirmed Presbyterian, a member of the Polish Reformed Church. When I moved to Amsterdam, I joined the local Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) congregation. If there were none, I would have joined a Dutch Reformed congregation. I always stay with my mainline Reformed roots - now I serve a UCC congregation as a pastor. I think I am one of the last folks who actually transferred their membership as I moved to other places - but my theological allegiance stayed the same. I think the reason why church hoppers hop is related to the death of denominational allegiance in the US.
Grady Walton
Susan Spicer, I think your experience is very common for us introverts. It seems like the modern church is run by extroverts. It is estimated that 25 to 50 % of the population tends to be introverted. Without knowing it, the modern high-energy social church is alienating a large percentage of the congregation. (Pleeease stop asking me to meet, greet and even hug people mid way through the service . . . aargh!:-) By the way, the original founders of the American colonies could be considered church hoppers. Were they not fleeing the constraints of the Old World church in Europe?
Susan Spicer
I have found that every church I have ever attended is cliquish. Generally run by the most dominant members, and after a brief welcome, new attendees are expected to barge right in, sign up for everything, socialize like there's no tomorrow and get into the clique. If you don't do this right away, you are considered standoffish and little efffort is made to include you. I'm an introvert myself and always have a difficult time with this dynamic. I like to get to know the environment, people and programs before jumping into everything. I also really enjoy the more academic aspects of church and less so the social. This typically does not go over very well. I used to church hop a bit, hoping to find a better fit, but no luck. I settled down for my kids, but now do not attend much. Not sure what I will do in the future. And BTW, I have not had any problems fitting in or adjusting to other groups in my life (work, neighbors, school). Very curious.
Kathi Vande Guchte
Pop Seal - really, in your in-depth studies of people who go from church to church this is what you came up with? Was this a blind study? Did you question each person you targeted, or is this just a voyeuristic snap assumption about people you've never met, nor would you reach out to do so.
catherine howell
"Our perseverance is the context for Hebrews 10:24-25, often used by pastors to challenge members to commit to a church: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." The passage refers to some who have downshifted to church-free lives, but also offers us a helpful way to support other church hoppers." How can the true "church" ever have a church free life??? The point I would like to make is that "we" the "believers" are the "Church." Every time we come in contact with people, wherever that may be, there is the potential to minister to those we see, daily. Are we doing this? Spurring one another on and strengthening one another can happen in many different settings that does not have a huge org, attached to it. Are we accountable to God and other believers? Do we love as He has loved us?
RICHARD HANNER
The absence of biblcal reference screams loudly. If the premise is true that is being advocated, most would have abandoned St. Paul's church plant in Corinth. Imagine that, leaving the church of the greatest church planter who wrote the bulk of the New Testament based upon the reality that it was disfunctional, relationally fragmented, prejudiced toward the elite, excessive with alcohol,chaotic with gifts, suing one another in court, allowing incest and promoting false doctrine. However, Paul addresses those who departed as revealing those who remained as genuine and approved of God. Just sayin!
Kirk Miller
I don't believe you made a single argument in pure favor of "church hopping." You argued that it's better than giving up on "church" altogether. That's a quite unsatisfactory and unconvincing argument. From experience I know quite well what it's like to have "bad experiences" with churches. Some use such experiences as an excuse to be uncommitted to a local church. But theology must always trump our emotions and desires. So, "having difficulties with the church," in my opinion, is absolutely no excuse. The problem with many "church hoppers" is their priorities. Too many place an improper priority on things such as "worship music," teen programs, etc. Instead, they ought to recognize that no church is going to fit their exact preference. But that's not with which the church is concerned. It's not about "consumer" preference. It's about service and God's glory. Find a church that prioritizes the Gospel, has sound doctrine, and lives obediently, commit yourself to it, and get involved.
Grady Walton
The reasons why people church hop are legion. But I know one: The essential ministries in the modern church limit the types of gifts and skills needed from folks in the pews. In other words, if you don’t play a musical instrument, sing well, teach children’s Sunday school, lead men’s or women’s ministries, lead home groups, maintain the financial books, wield technology like a god, or sit on the church board, well, you are out of luck. (For instance, putting an introvert in the role of Sunday-morning-greeter is not the best allocation of resources.) That leaves cleaning the rest rooms. (Hey, not a bad proposition now that I think about it.) If your passions and skills don’t fit the church’s needs, there is not a lot of enthusiasm for your interests. That’s one reason why this hopper hopped.
Pop Seal
The more you have of anything, the less valuable that commodity becomes. With a church on every street corner, if you 'hit a bump' at one address, just cross the street and find a church that is just right. Goldilocks Christians are everywhere and will test the porridge, because they are spoiled little children.
Alicia Feaster
The problem of people leaving churches is complex and calling someone a church hopper is definitely putting a simple label on a phenomenon that is widespread in many areas of the country. There are many mature believers who cannot find a church. In my work as a counselor, I meet people who are strong in their faith and dedicated to the Lord.. some of them have worked in ministry for decades and yet they cannot find a healthy community where the Lord is the center of the worship service. I wonder how an article like this can be written without addressing the issue of the condition of the church in America. Is the church feeding the believers or are they starving for deep teaching? I know why I left several churches and it had nothing to do with church hopping or church shopping. (aliciasroses.wordpress.com)
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