Pastors Unsure If Discipleship Is Really Happening In Their Churches
Pastors have a lot of thoughts about discipleship, but they aren’t sure it’s happening in their churches.
In the first part of the State of Discipleship study from Lifeway Research, U.S. Protestant pastors shared their understanding of what discipleship means and how it best occurs. The full State of Discipleship will be released over the next year, providing the perspectives of both pastors and churchgoers.
“Making disciples was the Great Commission Jesus gave His followers before He returned to heaven,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “This biblical priority warrants that church leaders regularly take a careful look in a mirror to see the state of discipleship in their congregations. This study provides a view of the state of discipleship across all Protestant churches in the U.S.”
In general, pastors have a vague satisfaction with the discipleship happening at their churches but no real way of determining if that is valid. Half (52 percent) are satisfied with discipleship and spiritual formation in their churches, but only 8 percent strongly agree. Similarly, 52 percent have an intentional plan for discipling individuals in their congregations and encouraging their spiritual growth.
Additionally, seven in 10 (71 percent) believe there are ways to measure discipleship in a congregation. Despite their current satisfaction and belief in measurements, however, just 30 percent say their churches have specific methods for measuring discipleship, including only 5 percent who strongly agree.
Discipleship components
When asked about discipleship, pastors volunteered varying key concepts. They’re most likely to say spiritual growth or discipline (12 percent) and Bible study and reading or Scripture memorization (10 percent) are components of discipleship. Some point to mentoring or meeting one on one (seven percent), teaching/training (6 percent), prayer (six percent), making disciples (five percent) and groups (five percent).
One in 25 pastors mention relationships (4 percent), accountability (four percent), obedience or following Jesus (four percent), equipping believers (four percent), sanctification or becoming more Christlike (four percent) and community (four percent). Slightly fewer say discipleship involves time (three percent) and serving (three percent).
Other aspects of discipleship specified by pastors include Bible knowledge or literacy (two percent), evangelism or outreach (two percent), application (two percent), maturity (two percent), leadership (two percent) and commitment (two percent).
Fewer say doctrine (one percent), Great Commission (one percent), intentionality (one percent), multiplication (one percent), the gospel (one percent), strengthening or iron sharpening iron (less than one percent) or fellowship (less than one percent). Additionally, one percent of U.S. Protestant pastors say they don’t know.
“In one sense, discipleship simply brings intentionality to following Jesus Christ, but it quickly becomes complex when we consider the many ways we need to walk in obedience and how to encourage these in a local church,” McConnell said. “The variety of ways that pastors describe key elements of discipleship illustrates there are multiple paths but also highlights the need for a framework for thinking through how a church is approaching discipleship.”
Discipleship priorities
With pastors having many of those components of discipleship in their minds, it’s no wonder they often have different priorities and plans for spiritual growth among the people in their congregations.
Pastors are split on what best describes the first priority of activities included in their church’s plan for discipling people. Almost half (46 percent) say they are more focused on biblical knowledge, while 38 percent focus on relationship and encouragement. Fewer say their plan prioritizes equipping and “how-to” (nine percent) or experience and service (5 percent).
Around nine in 10 Protestant pastors (89 percent) say they use sermons during the weekly worship service as at least one approach to discipleship and encourage the spiritual development of adults in their congregations. Most churches also use adult Sunday School classes (69 percent), adult small group Bible studies (62 percent), women’s groups or classes (57 percent) and pastor-led teaching times like Sunday or Wednesday evenings (54 percent).
Fewer point to men’s groups or classes (45 percent), study groups or classes for all adults (42 percent) or mentoring or coaching relationships (31 percent). Around one in seven (14 percent) specifically use accountability groups.
A third of pastors (33 percent) say the weekly sermon is the most important for their adult discipleship ministry. Almost one in six say adult small group Bible study (18 percent) or adult Sunday School (18 percent) is top priority for their congregations. One in 10 (10 percent) highlights the pastor-led teaching times outside of Sunday morning. Fewer mention mentoring (7 percent), study groups for all adults (6 percent), accountability groups (two percent), men’s groups (two percent) or women’s groups (one percent).
“Ninety-nine percent of churches have at least one approach they use to disciple adults in their congregation, and on average, churches use more than four methods,” McConnell said. “Discipleship is clearly important to churches. Pastors are not saying they’re trusting a program, but they recognize they must have systems to encourage spiritual development.”
Discipleship plans
Among churches that have a discipleship plan, it might not be unified throughout their ministries to men, women, students, children and other groups. Pastors with a plan are split between having each ministry develop its own plan for discipling individuals (50 percent) and having a single discipleship plan that all ministries take part in (45 percent). Another five percent aren’t sure.
Not every church has targeted discipleship programs for various groups within the congregation. Two in three pastors (66 percent) say their churches have a specific program for the spiritual growth of women. Slightly fewer (61 percent) say the same about men. Most churches have targeted discipleship programs for middle and high school students (57 percent) and elementary age children (57 percent).
Around a third target young adults (36 percent) and preschoolers (34 percent) with discipleship programs. One in five (21 percent) do so for college-age adults. Almost one in seven (14 percent) say they don’t have targeted spiritual growth programs for any of these groups.
“Among all Protestant churches, more than a quarter have decentralized discipleship plans for ministries, less than a quarter have a single discipleship plan for their whole church, and around half do not have an intentional discipleship plan,” said McConnell, “Healthy churches have a plan for discipleship. Clearly, the first step for encouraging spiritual development is developing an intentional plan to do so. And the elements and scope of those plans can vary greatly.”
Discipleship in community
However churches seek to help their people grow spiritually, pastors believe that growth will happen best with other people involved. Almost all (95 percent) say discipleship is not completed in a program but in a relationship.
Most believe that disciple-making relationships must include physical presence. Only 22 percent believe discipleship can be as effective virtually as in-person, while three in four (75 percent) disagree.
With that, seven in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors believe discipleship is best accomplished one-on-one or in groups among no more than five people. Specifically, two in five (40 percent) say it’s best in small groups of two to five believers, while 29 percent place the emphasis on one believer discipling another one-on-one.
Another 17 percent say discipleship is best accomplished in small groups of six to 25 believers. Few say the right number for discipleship is an individual believer on their own (two percent) or in a large group of more than 25 (one percent). One in 10 (11 percent) aren’t sure.
“There is a clear discrepancy in the discipleship thinking of many pastors,” said McConnell. “Seven in 10 say discipleship is most effective with close relationships, but a third say their large group sermons are the top discipling ministry of their church. While preaching is definitely a biblical activity required of pastors that can encourage sound doctrine and unity, good discipleship requires just as much intentionality in relational approaches to discipleship.”
For more information, view the complete report and visit LifewayResearch.com.
Aaron Earls is the senior writer at Lifeway Research.