Senior adults are leaving the Church in alarming numbers

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For years, church leaders have sounded the alarm about the departure of younger generations. We’ve analyzed the data on millennials. We’ve debated how to reach Gen Z. Entire conferences are devoted to the “next generation” and what the church must do to keep them engaged.

All of that is needed. But there is another exodus taking place in our churches, one that rarely makes the headlines and seldom finds its way into our strategy sessions. It is the quiet departure of senior adults.

Unlike younger generations, seniors don’t typically leave with dramatic announcements or angry social media posts. They simply fade. A pew that was once filled by a faithful couple is now empty. A Sunday school teacher who served for decades suddenly isn’t there anymore. A widow stops attending