Church Refugees: Sociologists Reveal Why People are DONE with Church but not their Faith

You’ve probably heard the terms “churched” and “unchurched”. Now a new term, “dechurched”, describes a growing number of once-devout church attendees who have chosen to unplug. But why do people leave?

Two sociologists with a heart for the church did a study on just that and they uncover an astonishing finding. People are leaving as a last resort, in the manner of refugees disengaging from harsh environments. Why? To preserve their faith – not abandon it. In Packard and Hope’s own words: “The dechurched are leaving the church to do more not less. The church isn’t asking too much of people; it’s asking the wrong things of them.” As a sociologist and church lover, I (James) resonate deeply with their conclusion.

And yet Packard and Hope have great, of all things, hope! At the end of their interviews, each of these religious “dones” are asked to imagine a church that could lure them back. Almost all could describe that church! This is qualitative research at its finest. In a concluding chapter entitled “Being the Church No One Wants to Leave”, Packard and Hope provide illuminating strategies that can turn dissatisfaction into doable, missional and connecting practices.