Mainline churches in USA adjust to tides of social change

Freeze-frame from 28 minute interview on January , 2021

Each generation enters into church life differently, according to social conditions of the time and stage of one's own life, things that may be changing or that may be staying the same. The contextual meaning for worship and shared experiences is supplied by sources like the popular culture, educational system, one's own network of peers who provide a reference to life, and the arc of aging across one's life course. All these shifting circumstances color the unchanging Word of God as taught, read, studied, praised, and preached. Even though the lyrics and published text do not change, these surrounding meanings of life make the same habits of heart, the annual cycle of traditional church activities and one-time events, as well as the interpretation of scripture remain "alive" - not tried once and done, not tired out, not static, but a living word to fit each life; each moment in the flow of social history; and indeed the challenges to the organization and cultural institution itself.

The video recording of this conversation with Rev. Olson in mid-Michigan touches on the sea changes from his childhood church experiences of the 1960s-70s, then his years of seminary and internship in the 1980s and the decades since full-time work up to the present at one of the churches in the traditional mainline Protestant denominations, the First Congregational Church of St. Johns, Michigan. He describes the range of functions he serves; how the generational changes are reflected in the kinds of things worshipers value and seek; and how the tides of social change -- very most recently the months of Covid-19 pandemic suppression of face-to-face church life -- are undermining the 20th century routines and expectations for church membership and the fellowship inside the church community and outside, too, in the wider town and world of social relationships. The interview wraps up with a message for seminarians today and for both the clergy and the worshipers of five, 10 or 50 years from now: the message remains the same, only the times change. Rev. Olson says not to fret or feel beholden to the fixed Order of Service or to the building for gathering to worship. Instead, cling tightly to the message and enlist whatever media and working arrangements most successfully engage others.

There is documentary significance for recording this moment when churches, workplaces, and families beset by the transmissibility of the Covid-19 coronavirus have been meeting and communicating online rather than in person. Once the waves of death and economic ruin of the pandemic stop and the rebuilding of lives and livelihoods can resume, then some of the lessons and innovations of the online basis for social relationships and doing business in the pre-pandemic way will remain. New forms of interacting will rise up where the older habits once stood unchallenged. Stepping back from the documentary purpose of this conversation with a clergyman who has seen the 20th century structures in their prime now fading and the first signs of the 21st century structures rise up, there are a few observations to make from an anthropological point of view.

One observation is about Organized Religion's location and visibility on the social landscape, and about the its importance in the USA now: school sporting events used to begin with the national anthem and a prayer (especially before football, where there is risk of injury or worse), but now those practices are not ever-present; maybe the anthem, but seldom a public prayer - although individuals may still be in the habit to do so by themselves. And public meetings, committee work, and local governance in the public eye would also sometimes include a prayer. A majority of citizens were nominally enrolled as members at one religious institution or another, if not for guidance in one's personal spiritual growth, then for company in life's passage and the aura of propriety that comes with appearing dressed up at worship events. In military organizations, too, a designated clergy person would be invited to pray at certain points in the life of the company or battalion. The expansion of church services on radio and TV allowed those unable, unwilling, or possibly unwelcome from attending in person to stay connected from a distance to the teachings and melodies of the religious organization, too. And while cable channels (narrow-, not broad-casting) and Internet compete with the radio and TV forms of communication, the numbers of people attending and going beyond nominal attendance in a place of worship to get more actively involved dwindles year by year, generation by generation. In summary, religious organizations, their leaders, and their congregations are less prominent in their visible presence in civil society and public life, and less hearkened to by fellow believers and the expanding numbers of non-believers.

Another observation is about the place of religion in the diverse lives and livelihoods, as well as the community sources of belonging nowadays versus 20 years ago and before. "Cramming for finals" is one image for the tendency of people at middle age or older to develop an appetite for matters that go beyond self, and the material world. People often begin to notice issues, seek answers, or sharpen their interest in how to respond to misfortune in self and those one cares most about; in what happens after bodily death; in one's legacy to those who survive one's own demise; and so on. In other words, aging, a serious illness or accident, or loss of a loved one seems to bring religion into the foreground of a person's life. At the opposite end of the life course are the youngest members of society; some of whom are churched and others not. Growing up in a church makes everything about it familiar and easy to take-for-granted until adulthood. At that point a young person may sever their church ties, explore new ones, or begin to compare the World Religions as one part of the natural search for one's identity. Those with no formal religion during their formative years have fewer wrong notions or old habits to face in the search for a religious community that they can feel part of.

A third observation about the subject of religious life in this time of rapid changes in authority, sources of meaning, and models for living has to do with the function of religion in the society overall. There is much more to it than the generalization about religion being the "opium of the masses" as Karl Marx is credited saying about the many citizens congregating each week. Economically, a body of believers may benefit each other materially or by information shared and wisdom offered when making one's own decisions big or small. Spiritually, a church provides a place for individual and group expression in song, worship, and prayer. In life crisis (birth, wedding, funeral) a religious community shares the moment and facilitates the rituals that are part of these times. Educationally, an organized group of practitioners is able to host study groups, discussions, and programs of learning. Socially, an organized religion can provide social services to those outside (or within) the church. Politically, a formal organization like a church can assert a position, critique social injustice, and advocate for social changes.

All together the transitions that most churches are undergoing during the pandemic and even before that, in reference to the larger society's own changes, makes for a fascinating story. This video interview with Rev. Matt Olson gives a glimpse into these matters through the lens of one church during the past several decades.