Reflecting on Church Trends: A Minister’s SWOT Analysis

In one of my leadership classes, I learned the value of doing a SWOT analysis to improve and grow your ministry. We analyzed our work’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Since I have had time this summer to do a lot of self-examination and introspection, I decided to apply this concept to the church trends I have experienced in the last 25 years of ministry. 

I want to express my thoughts and experiences on these trends and welcome your feedback. However, I want to stress the need for balanced perspectives when evaluating Church trends. I aim to avoid extreme viewpoints or polarizing rhetoric that can hinder understanding and productive dialogue. It’s important to note that these are my personal opinions and perspectives, and yours may differ. It is also important to note that my motivation to write such a personal blog is not to criticize Church trends but to learn from their strengths and weakness. Additionally, I plan to analyze the opportunities for further ministry by pointing out the threatening misconceptions. Furthermore, hindsight is 2020, and I did not see most of these errors concerning Church trends during the movement’s height. However, as I deepen my relationship with God and gain more wisdom, I hope to become more aware of any misguided trends within the Church. One final note before digging into my analysis: reliance on biblical principles must be our source of discernment to accurately evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of different movements or trends.

A Minister’s Honest Analysis of Church Trends in the Last 25 Years:

1. The Purity Movement of the late 90s and early 2000s

Many things have been written about the Purity Movement over the last few years, but I want to share my thoughts and analysis.  Though most of the things I have read have been negative, the Purity Movement had some strengths. It wasn’t until my late teens that I got on fire for God which contributed to my appreciation of the purity movement. When my parents and I surrendered to the Lordship of Christ around the same time, there was no pressure from them or the Church to save myself for marriage. I made that decision on my own. Nevertheless, the purity movement encouraged me to understand my values, strengthen my principles, and discover my identity in Christ. However, there were some weaknesses within this movement. Many young women (especially teenage girls) felt shame about their bodies and believed they were solely responsible for men’s lust. I wrote about some of my negative experiences during this period in my blog titled,“I was called a Jezebel, but I choose to Forgive” . The Purity Movement began with noble intentions but unfortunately turned towards legalism, unwittingly causing shame and fear in many young women. The opportunity for growth from the purity movement focuses on instilling value, worth, and identity into young girls by reminding them they are created in His image and have a purpose. The Church must promote a healthy perspective on purity conversations by steering clear of shame and legalism and instead highlighting the importance of grace, redemption, and the life-changing impact of Christ’s love. Legalism threatened this movement, emphasizing superficial purity over genuine purity that stems from the heart. The Bible states, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8, NIV). I am grateful young women in the Church today are learning that purity is about seeking God’s heart, not just modesty.

2. The Deliverance Movement

Deliverance is mighty, relevant, and needed in the Church and has many strengths. I am grateful to have experienced deliverance firsthand in my early years of ministry, personally and through ministry with others. However, not acknowledging its weaknesses would be a significant error. In my opinion, the greatest weakness of our Deliverance movement in the late 90s and early 2000s was that we focused more on demons than caring for people’s souls. We also did not focus enough on discipleship after deliverance, causing some people to be worse off after expelling a demon than before. The Bible says that if the house is not swept clean and filled, the expounded demon will return with seven more powerful demons (see Matthew 12:44-45). The opportunity for growth in deliverance ministry is to consider holistic ministry combining deliverance, soul care, and discipleship. Deliverance ministry should partner with Christian Counseling and discipleship to offer ongoing support and emphasize complete healing and spiritual development to prevent setbacks. I am grateful that the Church has grown in deliverance ministry since the early 2000s. I have several friends called to the deliverance ministry, and they are way more balanced in their approach than what we experienced in the late 90s and early 2000s. Many things threaten deliverance ministry, but the greatest enemy is ignorance. The enemy does not want the Church to understand her authority in Christ.

3. The Leadership Movement

The Bible cites leadership as a spiritual gift in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. I experienced the Leadership Movement in the mid-2000s, and most of my experience was good. However, there were some flaws and misconceptions. The strength of this gift is that it focused on personal growth as well as church growth. We were taught the laws of leadership and strategic moves to improve and grow our church. However, the weakness was the over-emphasis on leadership, especially for senior pastors. Many pastors lost their shepherd’s hearts because they felt pressured to count the “nickels and noses” in their pews. This left pastors with smaller churches feeling insignificant compared to larger ones and, more importantly, many sheep without a shepherd. The opportunity for growth comes from embracing a servant-leadership mindset, recognizing that leadership is not just about personal development or church growth but also about shepherding and caring for the people entrusted to your care.  Furthermore, prioritizing relational connection, pastoral care, and discipleship alongside leadership development can greatly aid church growth and pastoral leadership. The most significant threat against this movement was an overemphasis on one spiritual gift at the expense of many other gifts. The Church has many parts of the body, and we need the shepherd as much as we need the leader. The church thrives when there is room at the table for every spiritual gift.  I am thankful that the Church realizes that every spiritual gift is needed in the body.

In conclusion, my SWOT analysis of the church trends I have experienced in my ministry gave me wisdom and hope. As stated in person and in my blogs, I view mistakes and shortcomings as opportunities for growth and learning. Many individuals tend to put pastors on a pedestal, leading to feelings of hurt when these ministers make mistakes. To combat the pressure of idolizing leaders/pastors,  I want to encourage a culture of humility, where leaders acknowledge their imperfections and share their growth journeys. This fosters authenticity and creates a safe space for others to learn from their experiences. Also, the Bible states that we should, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers”(1 Tim. 4:16).  Finally, during this time of self-reflection, I would like to offer a heartfelt apology to anyone who has been hurt by individuals (including myself) who have taken certain movements to an extreme. Please forgive your leaders/pastors and pray for them because they are flawed humans. And please understand that your worth and significance to God and the Church are invaluable, and your soul is of utmost importance.