Trust in the Church has dropped to 32% 🫣

Trust in the church has dropped from 60% to 32% between the 70s and 2023. 

This staggering decline is a symptom of a bigger issue across American churches — a lack of conscientious transparency alongside the rise of the megachurch.

Now, megachurches are not evil by nature. They do good work and provide fruitful places of community. That said, the larger a congregation grows, the harder it is for people to see the impact of where their tithes are going and how money is used. 

Further, there is one key difference between Boomers and Gen Z around trust. 

Boomers = “I will trust you until you give me a reason not to.”

Gen Z = “I won't trust you until you give me a reason to trust you.”

This is significant in the sense that churches, to foster trust in their congregation, need to show their efforts and methods both financially and operationally (within reason) to gain the support of these younger generations.

We don’t mean you should air out every detail of what goes on behind the scenes. But if you have accountability and the proper governance in your church staff, you shouldn’t have problems being transparent with your flock.

Why trust is like a bank account (and why we should be mindful of our withdrawals)

Trust is like a bank account — you're either making deposits or withdrawals and sometimes the withdrawals are less conscious than the deposits. 

Even the best church leaders can misstep when withdrawing from the “bank” of trust in their congregation. Accountability and legitimate governance are important for more than the good of the church — they also help protect you against yourself. 

We all make poor choices sometimes. We all have had to apologize. That said, there is a difference between apologizing only when called out and apologizing as an act of humility and connection. 

Let’s look at an example of fostering trust that steps a bit outside of the box.

The power of an apology and how it can rebuild trust

Last October, Pastor Aaron Burke of Radiant Church preached a sermon specifically to apologize for any possible missed connections, mishandling, or lack of follow-up on prayer requests within his congregation.

There were no ulterior motives besides opening the door for people to come forward to discuss these possible slights or instances of church hurt and work on mending them. 

Doing this not only gave people the opportunity to be heard and seen — which every person craves — but also to deepen trust with their church.

When people feel free to speak up and have confidence their words and feelings matter, trust blooms sweeter and with a stronger peace of mind. 

The church that can apologize — without the incentive of addressing a specific scandal or incident, but simply out of caring about their people — sets an expectation and foundation of transparent and thoughtful connection.  

Doing so shows a dedication to transparency and accountability that accounts for generational differences. Boomers may feel assured they were right in their decision to trust their church, and Gen Z will have the proof they need to place their trust in their church.

Action Items:

1. Is what you’re about to do a trust builder?

If the answer is no, it’s back to the drawing board until the answer is yes. 

Making deposits into the “trust bank” takes careful thought and consistent consideration, but the results can pay for themselves in the form of a more confident congregation and a more diligent method of operating. 

2. Is my trust capital high enough to make this withdrawal?

The deeper the trust-well, the larger withdrawals you can make — within reason. 

You shouldn’t withdraw more than you’ve earned. Sometimes the answer to this question will be no, and that means there’s still work to be done to move forward with what you’re feeling called to do. Dig deeper into how to nurture that trust with your flock. 

3. If the people in your congregation knew what you know while making X decision, would they respect you for making that decision?

We don’t mean 100% agree with the decision. But would they understand the reasoning? The thought process? Why you came to the conclusion you did? 

There will always be unpleasant and difficult decisions to make at one time or another. Keeping the perspective of your congregation in mind when making such decisions — alongside accountability, transparency, and authenticity — can go the extra mile to preserve trust amid hard choices.

Every choice we make as church leaders is either a trust builder or a trust hindrance, a deposit or a withdrawal. How deep is your well?

Want to learn more about bridging generations, cultivating generosity, and inspiring change in the church? Find Next Sunday on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.