The church is the only society in the world that exists for its nonmembers. Those words were spoken in the early 1900s by William Temple, then Archbishop of Canterbury. Jesus Christ lived and died for others, but his example is hard to follow. Somewhere along the way, many churches forget about their call to exist for nonmembers. They begin focusing their activities, concerns, and ministries inward.
Pastors begin functioning as chaplains or caretakers of self-contained congregations.
Members want more of their pastors' attention focused on the pews and less on the parish. As inward-looking Christians, they want to have their own needs fulfilled. Eventually, such inward-focused congregations lose their way. They cease to bear fruit and they begin to wither on the vine. D Members of the congregation of Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church worship on a Sunday morning.