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Half of the America people do not participate actively in church activities. However, 80 percent of these have historic ties with a church. Whether they are marginal members (i.e., their names are etched on a church's membership role) or mental affiliates only, these people seldom attend church services and generally hold more liberal attitudes than regular church goers. While marginal members show many similarities with mental affiliates, affiliates tend to be younger, more mobile, single or divorced, more liberal in social and religious attitudes. Mental affiliates have lower levels of childhood religious socialization and are more critical of the church.
A recent study, suggests that marginal members and mental affiliates may represent a wide range of people and behaviors. They may be (1) persons who attend sporadically due to choice, (2) persons who are unable to attend due to work or health-related reasons, (3) persons who attend fairly regularly but are not intimately involved in 14 church" activities, (4) persons who have withdrawn because their life-style no longer fits "the norm," (5) persons who have withdrawn because the local church is perceived as not living up to standard, expectation, or potential, (6) persons who withdrew following a personal crisis, (7) persons who dropped out during childhood or college-age years, (8) persons with an historical association, or (9) persons who have left the church to become identified with another religion. Clearly, not all marginal members and mental affiliates are alike.
Marginal members fall into one of three categories: (1) those who attend but choose a low-level of "institutional" involvement, (2) those who would attend and participate if circumstances were different, and (3) those who have opted not to attend or participate. Interestingly, people in each of these groups may not consider themselves "marginal" members. The "marginal" member idea is affixed by regular attendees who are significantly involved in "institutionalized" activities. Consequently, the notion of marginal membership is fostered by "the significant other" and interpreted in terms of institutionally designated activity. Regular attendance at significant church functions (notably the Sunday morning worship hour) becomes the rite of passage into "active" membership.
Mental affiliates fit several profiles. (1) They may be "disinterested onlookers," that is, persons who maintain a loose identity with the church but have no genuine interest in its affairs and feel no need to attend organized activities. (2) Some mental affiliates are "seekers." Earlier contact with the church may have awakened them, but it did not satisfy their spiritual thirst. 'Mey seek fulfillment in alternative religious experiences. (3) Some have become intellectual "skeptics," persons who question the legitimacy of the church and its teachings. (4) Still others are "Idealists." They hold to such idealism that no particular church can measure up to their expectations.
Effective ministry to marginal members and mental affiliates faces several challenges. Heading the challenge list is the existence of an us-them mentality, which fosters an antagonistic spirit between the engaged and the disen- gaged. The "us" set often expresses unwholesome attitudes toward "them" at care group meetings, visitation team sessions, elders meetings, preacher gatherings, and in sermons. The attitude is extended with a feeling of annoyance at latecomers, persons who fall to respond to announcements of church events, and people who miss ad hoc meetings. On the other hand, marginal members and mental affiliates may consider all the institutional busy work as unnecessary and the actions of the churched folk as pharisaical.
Perhaps even more alarming is the fact that most Christians and church leaders have accepted the phenomenon of marginality and have decided to cut their losses and give attention to more immediate matters. If the core church ("I.e., those who attend and participate regularly in institutional activities) wants to "reach" marginals, a new spirit will need to emerge. It just may be that a negative or indifferent attitude toward "marginals" signals a more dangerous position than low involvement in routine church activities. The larger question relating to marginal members and mental affiliates pertains to the spiritual health of engaged members. Can one really be a spiritually healthy Christian and condemn or neglect marginals? Can one be spiritually healthy when perpetuating an us-them mentality? Are marginals not a part of the kingdom of God too? Is there not a sense in which all exist together until the judgment, when God himself will separate the sheep and goats? Do not mental affiliates deserve the same care and love as do the fully engaged? If not, then what is the meaning of Jesus' parable about the lost
sheep? The question is not one of attitude and action toward sin but of attitude and action toward fellow sinners.
Reasons why people elect a path of diminished institutional involvement are legion. The fully engaged Christians should realize that a mere attitude adjustment will be insufficient to bring marginal members into full active participation. Genuine concern for marginal members and mental affiliates calls for repentance, prayer, re-focus on the gospel, and responsible action. Following is a suggested plan for faithful and effective ministry.
*First, the local congregation needs to come to a better idea of its own place before God and its mission. This may include taking a painful look at the position and plight of the Pharisees.
*Second, the church may need to experience a renewal of its own. That is, it may need to be led in a lament, become contrite, and develop concern for marginal members and mental affiliates.
*Third, the church must struggle with the question, Is each "marginal" person really outside the circle of the "faithful"? If the marginal is outside the circle, Why? Perhaps he is not there by his own choice. If he is there by personal choice, it is not likely he will return to a situation he has rejected. And it should not be automatically presumed that the marginal person is the one who is in the wrong.
*Fourth, the leadership (elders, deacons, ministers) must lead the congregation in the creation of an atmosphere for outreach to marginal members. This may involve disrupting some close friendship cliques, becoming open to the acceptance of deviants, 4usfing worship times and services to fit the social and physical needs of marginals, and recognizing that it is God who owns the church, not the members.
*Fifth, training will become necessary to help members (and leaders) to know how to reach out.
*Sixth, members will have to become conditioned to pursue and endure long-term relationships with marginal members and mental affiliates.
FOOTNOTES
1 The subject of this article was inspired by a study sponsored by the Center for Social and Religious Research at Hartford Seminary under the direction of David A. Roozen, conducted by C. Kirk Hadaway and Penny Long Marler, and funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.
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