My final year of urban ministry saw the strongest income in a generation, and (arguably) the strongest week-round attendances (see Not A Small Church). Those who proposed to take the Church forward were explicit about the "exciting new chapter" they would lead. They would grow Church attendance, increase giving, expand the youth group, grow the young adults section, keep a thriving Women's Association, and so on ... I told the Church plainly that those who proposed to take the Church forward would put it into "steep decline". An elderly member angrily confronted me. On what basis could I say that? But it was true, unfortunately. Church attendance plummeted, giving collapsed, most groups closed -- including the youth group, the young adults section, and the Women's Association. Someone said simply: "It was pride." This year, 2018, the Church reported that it was "unsustainable". OBSERVATION: It comes down to who people choose to believe. It happens. See, for instance, an interview with Steve Jobs. Apple, he said, believed the wrong people.
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