April 24, 2025
MARIETTA, Ga. — While some churches are experiencing significant growth in America, multiple churches are struggling to overcome the decline that beleaguers many congregations today.
The 2023 Annual Church Profile conducted by Lifeway Research that was released on March 11 indicated that 70 percent of Southern Baptist churches have an average Sunday morning worship attendance of less than 100. Some of those churches have a bright future, but others are on life support. Increasing discouragement and resignation frequently prompts the diminished remnant in that kind of church to pronounce the final benediction, close the doors of the building, and scatter to other churches.
However, there are churches that refuse to accept deceleration and degeneration and earnestly pursue a rebirth, revision, and renewal of their congregation.
In their book, Comeback Churches, Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson explain that most churches start strong, experience periods of growth, then stagnate, plateau, and eventually decline. However, the book’s subtitle is “How 300 churches turned around and yours can too.”
Some of these churches are fledgling church starts with members who are filled with hope and the determination to see the church become a significant congregation of believers with a firm resolve to make an impact in its region.
Other churches that fit into that demographic of less than 100 regular attenders are stable and effectively meet one another’s needs and gain enough new members each year to replace those who are no longer members because of death or relocating to another city or community.
Then there are churches, as has already been mentioned, that are faced with the inevitable question: When will we have to admit that we cannot continue to exist as a church, have our last service, and determine what we must do with our property?
However, there are some churches that want to reverse the decline they have experienced for years and resolve to thrive rather than just survive. That is a bold and courageous decision. These people know that with God all things are possible and are willing to do whatever is necessary to become a strong and viable church once again.
Elizabeth Baptist Church in Marietta fits into that last category. Members are now faced with the challenge to do whatever is necessary to be a comeback church and seek God’s help for restoration and new life.
Elizabeth Baptist Church has extraordinary facilities. The church property sits on seven acres of prime property in a growing section of Cobb County. The sanctuary will seat 700-800 worshippers, and there is ample educational and recreational space. The property is meticulously maintained and ready to be utilized by hundreds of people.
The regular Sunday morning attendance has declined to approximately 40 to 50 people, many of whom, have invested much of their lives into the church’s construction, worship, ministry, and outreach.
People dream of rising above their circumstances to reach new heights of accomplishment and success. The idea of new birth, restoration, and revitalization is appealing to people of every clime and country.
The phoenix, a legendary immortal bird that cyclically obtains new life by rising from the ashes of its predecessor, is a representation of that desire. Some have even likened the mythological phoenix motif as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection.
The story of First Baptist Church in Sandy Springs rising from a weakened condition to become a campus of Christ Covenant has been well documented in The Christian Index. Three years ago, a very small congregation at FBC Sandy Springs faced the challenge of choosing just to survive for a few more years or placing itself in a position to thrive. They chose the latter and today are averaging approximately 500 in their morning worship service.
Surely, there are churches that would come alongside Elizabeth Baptist Church to offer assistance and provide a critical mass of people to sustain and grow their ministry and pave their destiny with value and success.
God's power is unlimited, and unlike the resurrection of the phoenix, God’s power is not based on some mythological tale. It is genuine and unlimited. He wants his saints and his churches to be strong and influential, and He has the omnipotence to enliven and renew them so they can bring Him glory and become change agents in a world that desperately needs to know Christ.
