OK, so here is the post I talked about here.  Church EXITers!  Dr. Barb Orlowski has recenty finished research on people who leave church.  Her work was done in British Columbia, Canada and you can read all about it here.

It is no secret anymore that people are quitting church by the droves.   A simple cursory overview of recent headlines attest to this fact.  So, when I come across new research that helps us to look more deeply into the issue I am eager to see what conclusions are drawn as to how to address the issue.

While many people leave the church because they have felt there is something more to following Jesus than what they find in a local church setting, this particular study deals with people who have left church because of spiritual abuse.

Click here to read about this study!

Here is what Dr. Barb Orlowski says about this yet-to-be-published book:

Concept Statement

This book provides a ministry tool for the Christian community. It allows those who have recovered from the distressing church experience of spiritual abuse an opportunity to tell their stories and to be heard. It provides a behind the scenes look at how Christians can recover from this devastating experience and how those desiring to help can minister effectively. It is suitable for scholars or a general audience.

The Gap That This Book is Seeking to Fill

Why Christians leave institutional churches is an increasingly popular topic catching the attention of researchers who make it their goal to understand its causes and prevalence and to bring it to the attention of church leaders. Meager current literature has described the reasons why Christians leave churches or, more significantly, has provided viable prescriptions for recovery. This study traces a clear path which spiritual people have travelled from their dilemma to wholesomeness.

Barb would love your input as she continues to explore this very timely issue.  Please visit the Church Exiters homepage and find the link to her email address.

[stextbox id="warning" caption="Time is Running Out!"]After posting this, I received an update from Dr. Barb Orlowski.  The dissertation is going to the publishers soon and when it does you will not be able to access the full dissertation online.  So if you are interested, please go visit www.churchexiters.com before it is too late![/stextbox]

Despite the almost mantra-like status of the statement “people are leaving the church” there still appears to be little understanding about who is leaving, when they leave, why they leave, and what happens to them and their faith after they leave. Of course everyone has their own view on these issues but few, especially our church leaders, have taken the time to sit down and talk with an actual leaver or two.

It is much easier dealing with stereotypes than actual people, even if the stereotypes don’t help us understand what is really going on. For those interested in moving beyond the stereotypes and asking: “Who are these people who are leaving our churches?” an examination of some myths about church leavers may prove helpful.

Alan Jamieson

I first came across Alan Jamieson’s work through Julia Duin’s book, Quitting Church.

Here is his list:

Myth #1

It is only the traditional mainline churches that have large numbers of leavers. While it is true that people are leaving the traditional churches people are also leaving evangelical, charismatic and Pentecostal churches.

Myth #2

The people who leave are young adults, people on the fringe of our churches, and people who have not been in the church for very long.