Survey on Why They Left the Church 關於人們為何離開教會的調查
by Brad Harrub, Ph.D.
作者：Brad Harrub 博士
A few weeks ago, I launched a survey aimed at those who once filled the pews but no longer do.
幾週前，我發起了一份調查，對象是那些曾經坐滿教會座位、如今卻不再出現的人們。
Nearly 350 people have responded.
將近 350 人已經回覆。
The results are both revealing and sobering, offering valuable insight into why people walk away.
結果既令人震驚，也令人警醒，提供了寶貴的洞見，讓我們更明白人們為何選擇離開。
What they shared isn’t sanitized or safe.
他們分享的內容並不「遮掩」也不「安全」。
It’s raw, candid, and impossible to dismiss.
它是赤裸、坦白、令人無法忽視的。
This data doesn’t merely confirm that people are leaving the church—it exposes the deeper reasons behind the exodus.
這些資料不只是證明人們正在離開教會，更揭露了這場出走背後更深層的原因。
As the graphs below reveal, this is not a crisis isolated to 18–19-year-olds.
如下方圖表所示，這並不是只發生在 18–19 歲年輕人身上的危機。
The departure cuts across generations.
離開教會的人跨越各個世代。
Over and over, respondents pointed to hypocrisy, failed leadership, personal hurt, legalism, and a deep sense of disillusionment.
受訪者一再指出：偽善、領導失敗、個人傷害、律法主義，以及深層的幻滅感。
These aren’t surface-level grievances.
這些並不是表面的小抱怨。
In some cases they are alarm bells.
有些甚至是警報聲。
And if we have the courage to listen, they may also be a call reflection and renewal.
若我們有勇氣去聽，它們也可能是一個呼召：促使我們反省並更新。
One of the most important "essay" type questions we asked was simple but revealing:
我們提出的一個最重要的「申論式」問題，其實很簡單，但極具揭露性：
QUESTION: “What was the biggest factor in your decision to leave the church?”
問題：「你決定離開教會的最大因素是什麼？」
Here are just a few of the unfiltered responses:
以下是一些未經修飾、原汁原味的回應：
“The church cared more about what happened inside the building on Sunday morning than the personal lives of its members.
「教會更在乎主日早晨教堂裡發生什麼，而不是信徒的真實生活。
There was little evangelism, no accountability, and no follow-up when we left—we just disappeared.
幾乎沒有傳福音、沒有問責，也沒有任何跟進；當我們離開時，我們就消失了。
The focus was on rituals and rules.
重點只放在儀式與規條上。
Very shallow.
非常膚淺。
No joy.
毫無喜樂。
It wasn’t the church I read about in the New Testament.”
這不是我在新約裡讀到的那個教會。」
“I realized Jesus would never have preached many of the things I heard from the pulpit.
「我意識到：我在講台上聽到的許多東西，耶穌根本不可能會去傳講。
If He walked in today as a brown-skinned traveler, He’d be met with suspicion.
若耶穌今天以一位膚色較深的旅人樣貌走進來，迎接祂的恐怕是猜疑。
Studying church history showed how power has been used to justify slavery, discrimination, and even violence.
研究教會歷史讓我看到：權力曾被用來合理化奴隸制度、歧視，甚至暴力。
The meanest, most spiteful people I’ve ever known—I met in the church.”
我這輩子見過最刻薄、最惡毒的人——竟然是在教會裡遇到的。」
“Hypocrisy. In everything.”
「偽善。無所不在。」
“Lack of leadership.”
「缺乏真正的領導。」
“People raised in the church who were still spiritual infants—mature only in malice.”
「許多在教會長大的人，屬靈上仍像嬰孩；他們唯一成熟的，就是惡意。」
“Elders and deacons chosen by popularity instead of biblical qualification.
「長老與執事是靠人氣選出來的，而不是按聖經資格。
Teaching is either excellent or nearly nonexistent.
教導要嘛非常好，要嘛幾乎不存在。
When the preacher leaves, no one else can teach.
傳道人一離開，就沒人能教導。
We outsourced spiritual growth and lost personal study.”
教會把屬靈成長外包出去，結果信徒失去了自己查考的能力。」
“Leadership more interested in power and control than shepherding the sons and daughters of God.”
「領導更在乎權力與控制，而不是牧養神的兒女。」
“Stale. Legalistic. Tradition mattered more than Scripture.
「死氣沉沉、律法主義、傳統比聖經更重要。
Churches became retirement homes for saints instead of hospitals for sinners.
教會變成聖徒的退休院，而不是罪人的醫院。
Young people weren’t connected.
年輕人沒有被連結起來。
Faith became a Sunday-and-Wednesday ritual, not a lived discipleship.”
信仰變成星期日與星期三的例行儀式，而不是活出來的門徒生命。」
“Teaching that was lifeless and boring.
「教導毫無生命又枯燥。
Reading verses, flipping pages, dragging on—no engagement, no transformation.”
只是讀經文、翻頁、拖拖拉拉——沒有吸引力，沒有改變生命的力量。」
These voices are painful to read—but they are invaluable to hear.
這些聲音讀起來令人心痛，但卻極其寶貴。
They reveal not just why people are leaving, but what many are longing for: authenticity, courage, biblical depth, real shepherding, and a church that looks more like Jesus than an institution protecting itself.
它們不只揭露人們為何離開，也指出許多人真正渴望的是：真誠、勇氣、聖經的深度、真實的牧養，以及一個更像耶穌、而不是只會自我保護的制度型教會。
留言
張貼留言