A recent Wall Street Journal article chronicled the problem evangelical churches are having keeping young members. It’s an interesting turn of media events, so to speak: After years of pounding the Catholic Church for its declining attendance at the expense of rising protestant churches with charismatic pastors, now it seems the media is examining the flight of young evangelicals to other churches.
It’s important for Catholics to understand why this is happening. While many of our dioceses went through (or are still in) a period of “hipness” to ”attract” young people, that’s exactly what drove them away — a lack of substance. While trying to be “relevant” to the young (and even not so young) the Church watered down the Mass and its emphasis on certain Church teachings. While evangelicals got a bump for a number of years by its sheer emotional pull, people soon find out that after a service, when the “alleluias” are over, there isn’t much there, there.
The American Church must never forget the substance and challenge of The Faith. For too long “Modern” Catholicism focused on emotion, not substance. But emotion does have a place — as a tool, not an end. It’s a lesson the Church in America has had to learn the hard way. Sadly, some still have not learned. Perhaps, this new exodus from the evangelical movement will give Catholic dioceses an opening to present the Truth to those so desperately seeking it.
As usual, Michael Voris at RealCatholicTV gets to the heart of the matter. Please take a view and let us know what you think.
Can the Catholic Church learn from the exodus of many from evangelical “mega churches”?
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