The Disturbing Trend of Churchless Christians

Why Faith Untethered from Community Is Undermining the Church’s Future

There was a time when one’s profession of faith and one’s presence at the local congregation were inseparable. To call oneself a Christian was immediately to affirm a commitment to the gathered body of believers. As Hebrews reminds us, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24–25). From the earliest gatherings in Jerusalem to the medieval cathedral and the modern megachurch, meeting together has been both our worship and our lifeline.