The Feminization of the Church

Biola Magazie ^ | June 14 | Holly Pivec

[SkyPilot]

The leaders of a new, Christian movement think they’ve solved a centuries-old mystery: why men are absent from church. But their answer isn’t politically correct.

They believe Christianity has become feminized.

There are generally more women than men in every type of church, in every part of the world, according to church growth experts like Patrick Johnstone, author of Operation World.

A traditional explanation is that women are more spiritual than men. But the leaders of this new movement suggest that the church’s music, messages and ministries cater to women. One of the leaders is David Murrow, author of a provocative book Why Men Hate Going to Church (Nelson Books), who spoke with Biola Connections.

The result of this feminization is that many men, even Christian men, view churches as “ladies clubs” and don’t go — or they often go to please their wives. Murrow’s solution is to restore a masculine ethos. Many men’s ministers, including some Biolans, agree.

But isn’t the reverse true — that the church is controlled by men?

True, 93 percent of senior pastors in America are men, according to evangelical pollster George Barna. But, the majority of attendees in a typical church are women. Barna goes so far as to refer to women as “the backbone of the Christian congregations in America.”

“[I]t’s not too hard to discern the target audience of the modern church: a middle-aged to elderly woman,” Murrow said in an interview with Faithreader.com.

The same claim was made by an earlier, more academic book, The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity (Spence Publishing Company), by Leon J. Podles, a senior editor of Touchstone Magazine. But Murrow’s book has had a bigger impact among evangelicals and has been featured by the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

[sportutegrl]

That’s because the Bible Belt is in the South, where most solid churches reside, and that is a Yankee fight song.

[strider44]

I agree with the statement that many men go to church to avoid being hassled buy their wives. In fact, 80% of what I do is to avoid being hassled by my wife.

We dont go to church but I see this in my married friends. I see it big time in my father-in-law who gets dragged to church every weekend.

[RebelBanker]

Just a personal observation from the relatively small number of churches I have attended - The difference in male vs. female attendance looks to me like it is concentrated in the elderly, which I attribute to women having longer life expectancies. While I doubt that this accounts for the entire gap, I think it does make up a large part of it.

[Fred Hayek]

My tastes in music are far from dated, but when I am in a church please nothing later than Fanny Crosby.

To much of “contemporary Christian music” I call “swoon music”. Marty Haugen and his ilk make me gag.

[hinckley buzzard]

I once was part of a choir singing at a UCC servive on memorial Day weekend. We were warming up with the hymn of the day, The Battle Hymn you reference. The woman pastor of this "church" came up to greet the guest choir before the service, and avowed as how she would rather not preside at a service that included such a warlike "militaristic" hymn. No wonder the national UCC has now slipped below the one million mark in membership, and sinking fast. The Holy Spirit has left them and they wither on the vine.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Would a man go to a rock concert to hear a male solo artist sing?

Perhaps. I’d find it a bit creepy, but I’m weird.

Would he sway his arms?

More creepy.

Would he chat like the devil with the fellow attendees?

More or less creepy.

Would he go to a concert to here a woman solo artist?

Creepy.

Hence, men are not excited to attend mass to hear a guy talk, definitely not a woman, and aren’t so big or the chattiness afterward - but For Jesus Christ and the Eucharist, he attends. If he doesn’t much believe in the Eucharist, then he drops back and the priest becomes the reason he attends....and that feels creepy after he gets to know him.

Go for Jesus, or you’ll eventually go home. The more talking, the more creepy for the guy. This guy anyway. All for Jesus.

[hinckley buzzard]

I recently attended a Mass at the Tucson Cathedral. The sanctuary sits 1000 and it was full--with at least as many men as women. And they were not metrosexuals, many of them were hard, weather beaten Hispanic men who might well have wanted to sleep in and miss the 8 o'clock Mass. But there they were and they were not just sitting, they were praying.

Cultures softened by easy living and abundance, and yes an over-valuing of emotions over action, will not induce men to seek a Higher Power to support their strivings.

[joma89]

Concerning the comment of no one signs “Onward Christian Soldier”, I can tell you if you join Knights of Columbus, you will definitely sign that song.

JoMa

[bert]

or, they were obeying the Pope’s wishes to conquer the USA

[SkyPilot]

Go for Jesus, or you’ll eventually go home.

Amen.

[SkyPilot]

To much of “contemporary Christian music” I call “swoon music”.

I, sadly, have to agree.

I am the only person in my family that is not enamored with stations like KLOVE, although I do listen to it from time to time.

There are "swoon" songs like this one. I just returned from worship, I posted the thread just as my wife and I were heading out to church services.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYSFg1D-ipo

The band played that song, along with many others.

The song is derived from a passage from Scripture: "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

2 Corinthians 3:17

As a man, I can relate to Freedom. Our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence, and our other founding documents declare, in very clear language, that ALL of our freedoms come from God. In fact, to be a slave to sin denies our very freedom.

So, I am OK with that song.

The problem is as you stated, too much "swoon" music, and not enough focus on God's Power, His Justice, His Authority.

All of those are anti-feminine themes. I am sorry, but they are.

The church needs to focus less on sermons about "intimacy" and more about God's sovereign grace.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

No one ever sings “Onward Christian Soldier” anymore. - tiki

It sounds even less politically correct when sung in the original German.

Per Wikipedia,

"Onward, Christian Soldiers" is a 19th-century English hymn. The words were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music was composed by Arthur Sullivan

Mr. Sullivan famously collaborated with W. S. Gilbert in writing The Pirates of Penzance, etc.

[SkyPilot]

If it were not for (older) women the Christian church would have completely died out in Russia and probably places like Spain and Italy. When I’ve traveled, in Europe especially, there is a noticeable absence of men and I’ve been told by European friends that it has been that way for a long time.

I have to agree.

Without women, men are uncivilized......again, sorry, but that is true. God gave woman to man as a help mate, partner, and He "fashioned" her. He created Adam, but He "fashioned" woman. Therefore, I believe that is why woman are such beautiful creatures, inside and out. God's handiwork is apparent. Any man who's jaw had dropped because of the sheer beauty and grace of a true woman know of what I speak.

Moreover, there is an enduring strength of women! I watched some survivor type shows. The masculine men, in many cases, made horrible choices, and if it were not for the female cast members, they would have suffered more and perhaps even been injured beyond healing.

I think back to frontier America. It was women who helped us survive as families. What you said about the church being preserved by women is exactly correct.

[SkyPilot]

I recently moved from the UMC to the PCA. The UMC is heavily feminized, even though most pastors are men. In the PCA, women cannot serve as Elders or Deacons, so men are much more involved and the preaching is a lot more meat and potatoes Christianity than the Smoothie-style Christianity in the UMC.

I belong to a strong church, led by able pastors who are FIRMLY grounded in the Word of God. There are men's and women's ministries, and each fills a unique role.

I have a friend who joined our church, and he related to me the worst of his experiences while searching for church. He said that the focus and worship there had a theme, which he called: "Jesus is my boyfriend."

[SkyPilot]

Men as the spiritual leaders of their [ intact ] FAMILIES...is an imperative

I cannot say it any better than that.

During last week's NFL "all men are women beaters" media feeding frenzy, Dick Morris' call in show began to have callers who said the REAL problem was men raised without fathers, and how in the African-American communities this epidemic has now eclipsed 70%. The hosts didn't want to focus on this, and they danced quite a bit.

[SkyPilot]

Everything in our culture has become over feminized. Being a man is politically incorrect.

More true words have not been spoken P-Marlowe.

Jesus Christ was not a "wimp." We tend to forget that. Yes, He submitted to torture and execution willingly, like a "lamb to slaughter" - but that was His choice so that He could save mankind.

He was ferocious - especially when it came to His Father's honor.

[wintertime]

I understand your point. Consider instead the beauty of the language in “Lead Kindly Light”.

“Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th’encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on.
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path,
Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Saviour, lead me home in childlike faith,
Home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life.”

[narses]

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[NKP_Vet]

I’m a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus and we have occasionally sang the song. But if the Knights ever start to sing the Union war song “Battle Hymn of the Republic” I will be the first to let others know why it was written. Deo Vindice.

[hiho hiho]

St. Michael

St. Michael slaying the dragon