A Message for Control Freaks

Holy Soup

Why are some of the organized church’s most dedicated and active members choosing to leave?

Sociologist Josh Packard, author of Church Refugees, sometimes refers to these people as the church’s A students. They’re most likely to contribute, work hard, and lead others. But, increasingly, they’re done. Done with the institutional church altogether.

But why? Why have they joined the Dones? Packard’s research uncovered several prominent reasons. One of these reasons ties directly to the Dones’ ambitious nature. They want to make a difference, but feel encumbered–by the church’s structures and leaders. Packard interviewed Ethan, a 47-year-old Done. “I’m done with the top-down, institutional church,” Ethan said. “I thought I could fix it from within, but we got beat up pretty bad.”

Packard writes: “They wanted to affect the life of their congregations, but encountered only bureaucracy.”

He describes Cora, a 66-year-old formerly active church member. Her list of volunteer…

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