Other "Thinking Drafts" and writing by Keith Drury -- http://www.indwes.edu/tuesday .

THE INDIVIDUAL AS KING

About 20 years ago it was popular to talk about the "demise of denominations." One author even published a book announcing their death. Of course, he was right to a degree. Like an aging old woman gathering plastic bags for her "final exit," some denominational leaders starting making plans for downsizing toward death, enabling a self-fulfilling prophecy. On the other hand, denominations are still around after 20 years have passed, though they have far less punch than they once had.

True, denominations have gradually lost their grip on their pastors and people in the last few decades. Newer generations have come along with far less "brand loyalty." Seldom do you hear them say, "Denomination? Well, I'm a life long ________." (Except for a few Friends and Nazarenes.) It is increasingly difficult for a denomination to dictate local church organizational patterns, members' personal behavior or even their theological beliefs, in some cases.

In fact, denominations once had an "almost-exclusive franchise" in leading their people. There were camp meetings, training events, denominational programs, and "denominational distinctives" which people dutifully accepted. Perhaps as much as 90% of the influence on local members came from their own denomination. Denominations controlled as much as 90% of what their people heard, what they read, which speakers they followed, which programs they sponsored, and which doctrine they believed was most vital.

This day has passed. It is a matter of access. Individual members today can access all kinds of influences beyond their own denomination. While a loyal denominational member might pick up some books at an independent camp meeting, or may have subscribed to an "independent" magazine, most of the influence on this member was from his local denominational church. Not so, now. This member has access through TV and radio to Robert Schuller, Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, and Pat Robertson, and can listen to Jan and Paul Crouch or Jim Dobson every day. Denominational leaders seem far-off next to these nearby-in some cases daily-reliable figures influencing members today.

And, of course, most of these people and others have written books which have become the staples of many churches' Sunday school classes which once were dominated by denominational curriculum. And the rise of the local Christian bookstore has given the individual Christian access to a virtual plethora of books and music influencing how he or she thinks.

Then there has been the explosion of the "para-church organizations" like YFC, Campus Crusade, Navigators, InterVarsity, Day of Discovery, Bill Gothard, Bible Study Fellowship, SonLife Ministries, and now PromiseKeepers, all providing priorities, programming and materials which denominations once provided individualized "brands" of. (Face it, how many denominations couldn't get their men's program off the ground until PK came along?)

Since all this is obvious to you, why bring it all up? Because this column is not about denominations losing their influence. It is about local churches losing theirs.

What we did not recognize 20 years ago was that the identical factors reducing the denomination's influence would also diminish the local church's influence on individuals. The time is rapidly passing when a local pastor provides the majority of spiritual influence on the flock. The individual, not the local church, is now king. This new consumer-member does plenty of out-sourcing of his or her spiritual material. The local church is becoming just one local source of spiritual influence-for many, less than half of their spiritual input. Today's Christians access all kinds of sources beyond the local pastor for their religious input. While the local church may still be the primary influence, there are dozens of other influencers pouring in raw material for the discipleship process. And while all this has been happening, the pastor's sermon length has been shrinking, and the number of times the individual attends church each week has declined.

In the '70s and '80s, recognizing their diminishing influence on local churches, many denominations switched strategies. Like Sears, they quit trying to offer their own exclusive brand name programs and events, and began to serve as gatekeepers. They started granting a denominational "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" to independent curriculum materials, programs and para-church events. In a sense the denominations went from being the producers to becoming the sponsors or promoters of other organizations' events and materials.

Is this what will now happen in the local church? Will local churches offer less and less brand name competitive programs and events all by themselves, and increasingly become gatekeepers, approving and promoting city wide or regional events and programs? Will local churches quit trying to keep their own women's Bible studies floating, and simply recruit their women into BSF? Will PromiseKeepers become the local church's de facto men's organization, with all else either leading up to the next PK event, or following up the last one? Will we see the rise of city wide worship events or pageants which will replace what we have known as local church "Living Christmas Trees" or "Easter Cantatas?" Will local pastors increasingly become chaperones/counselors in "taking our people" to events beyond the local church, then helping them apply the truths?

If this indeed continues, what does it mean? Is it bad? Good? What is lost in the diminishing influence of denominations, local churches and, finally pastors? Where does this road lead? To a bland generic evangelical lukewarm soup? Or to a world-wide revival of Spirit-inspired unity in Christ's church?

So what do you think?

To contribute to the thinking on this issue e-mail your response to Tuesday@indwes.edu