E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (Aug 2024)
A Declining Pattern of Men in the Church: Examining Gender Imbalance and Future Implications
Abstract
The church forms one of the instrumental institutions in the society. Its key role involves spiritual nourishment, in which members are encouraged to address their emotional, psychological, and mental issues, as well as family-related matters, in an environment that is marked by hope and expectation. However, recently, one of the worrying trends has been one in which the number of men in the church has declined significantly. The main aim of this paper was to examine trends in men’s church attendance around the world, some of the factors contributing to those trends, and probable solutions to the same, as well as the implications for the future of the church and its ministries. The methodological approach entailed a qualitative research technique, focusing on secondary literature analysis. According to the results of the primary studies that were consulted, the leading factors that account for the reduced number of men in the church around the world include worldview struggles, patriarchy, unclear purpose and vision, a lack of men’s discipleship, and family fragmentation. Some of the proposed solutions through which these factors might be curbed include discipleship through invitation, gathering groups for men to connect, scouting and skill sharing, creating a platform for feedback, and “doing” rather than “being.” While implementing these solutions, however, care should be taken to ensure that the target group is involved in decision-making and action plan development, rather than separate their thought processes and worldviews from the formulated solutions. Also, the implementation of the aforementioned solutions needs to be embraced in a multidisciplinary way to ensure that relevant stakeholders inside and outside the church are brought on board and used to bring about the change process.
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