Movin’ On Out, Part Deux

For a proper perspective on this post, please refer to this one, in which I talk about a church which had relocated out of its changing neighborhood and into the county where we live. I also raise the question of whether or not there is ever a valid reason for a church to relocate from one place to another (not just down the street, but from one geographical place to another which is significantly farther away).

The county in which we live here in Georgia appears to be a perfect breeding ground for churches. Not new church upstarts, but church relocations. Over this past weekend I have taken notice of three more churches which are not new church plants, but instead are churches that have picked up roots and traveled southward (and outward) away from the changing cultural environment of their previous locations.

I find this nothing short of regrettable, very bad, and wretched. In a word…deplorable.

New church starts being supported from these churches is one thing, but completely removing the presence of a church out of a community is another thing altogether.

Frank Turk, a.k.a. CenturiOn, part of TeamPyro and who also has his own blog, recently had a series of posts in which he attempted to address the question, “Is it okay for me to leave my church?”. I would like to put forth that same question, but this way…”Is it okay for my church leave its community?”

And another one, “Is it okay for me to leave my community and follow my church which left its community?”

I’m not sure what the formal reasons would be that a church might give to its members (or those outside their local body) for leaving an area, but I can certainly think of at least two secret, internal reasons: racism & leaving a declining economic area for one that is more affluent.

I don’t know if this is a trend across other parts of the country or not, but I hope it is a movement (pun intended) that will die a quick and sudden death. If you are part of the leadership of a church considering moving a significant distance (15-30 miles) from your current location…why? If you are an professing Christian who is planning to move (or already has moved) further out due to a changing culture around you…why?