Vance, thanks for taking the time to read my post and respond. I agree that there are those who have left because the church they are a part of wasn't being Christlike. And that fact should be a wake up call for churches, but unfortunately too often churches are more concerned with saving the institution and maintaining the status quo, rather than making disciples. Frankly, those church should close because they have replaced Jesus with something else.

There are a range of churches. My style of pastoring has been oriented towards change in the church and discipleship. That has caused those who wanted to keep it the same as before to leave. That's the lens through which I write. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I do know that maintaining the status quo is not the answer.

My message was about those leaving who wanted to maintain the status quo. Likewise, the constant focus on who is missing is not healthy for a church. It's a dive back to the past and the way it was. It's nostalgia. We aren't going back. God gives us everything and everyone we need to carry out the mission for the church now.

I can't cover everything in an article, so that's why there wasn't a focus on those that left who were seeking Jesus. That's a whole different set of circumstances and would require a different focus for the article.

Have you read "Church Refugees?" It's a great book that talks about people who have left the church because they were seeking Jesus. I recommend it if you haven't read it. Our council used it as a book study at the beginning of council meetings last year and they got a lot out of it.