When a pipe bursts, you know it. There is water everywhere. But when it’s a leak, a slow leak, it is easy to overlook the problem. If the leak persists, year after year, without being addressed, eventually the damage could be worse than the bursting pipe. Slow leaks unattended can destroy the whole structure.

We’ve got a plumbing problem in the Church of the Nazarene. It’s not a pipe bursting (see the United Methodist Church); it’s a slow leak. 

I used to think the Church of the Nazarene might split over (you name the issues): Drinking; Speaking in Tongues; or the Wesleyan view of Scripture to name a few. It doesn’t appear that the Nazarene’s are marching toward a massive split. The last major split (I believe) was the formation of the Bible Missionary Church back in the 1950’s over watching TV. (The Bible Missionary Church was against the “devil box” placed in everyone’s home). 

The Church of the Nazarene will continue to die in USA/Canada (not necessarily in the rest of the world) because of a slow but steady exodus of young people. Check out the average age of newly licensed ministers. It’s not men and women in the early 20’s (like when I received my first license); it’s people in their late 30’s. Why is the average age so high? Because young people are walking away. 

It’s a slow leak.

Denominational leaders will point to the year-over-year level number of credentials surrendered and say, “See, we aren’t doing so bad.”  The problem is that young people aren’t even going through the process of getting a district license. They are dropping out. 

It’s a slow leak.

They see the division in churches; the deception of church leaders; the battle lines drawn over opinions; the angst over human sexuality; the fundamentalists gaining ground; the limits on discussion; the heavy-handed restrictions on creativity; the overtly political agenda; rise of Christian nationalism and young ministers-in-training say, “It’s not worth it. There’s too much baggage. It would be easier to pastor a non-denominational church; plant a church or be a Christian “minister” in a coffee shop.” Then they walk away.

It’s a slow leak.

What can be done to stop the leak? There isn’t a quick answer. There’s no magic substance that can plug the hole. But maybe the beginning of the answer is through listening and conversation. It begins with a posture of humility in our leaders. Listening is not liberal, conservative, “woke,” fundamentalist, progressive or any other label. Listening can’t hurt, will probably help and at the very least bring all parties to a better understanding of the other. Before drawing conclusions, passing down injunctions, removing status or walking away, couldn’t we listen?

People leave when they feel their voices aren’t heard. Listening (on all sides) can only help end the slow leak.