MARKETING WILL BECOME MAJOR FACTOR IN CHURCHES OF THE FUTURE

Shifting membership patterns has caused a construction boom for local churches, and precise marketing will be crucial for those hoping to be around in the 21st century.

However, the basic spiritual and religious questions will remain, several Cape Girardeau religious leaders and teachers say.

"There will be more marketing in the future, because all of the hot books out there pastors are reading are heavily into marketing," part-time religious studies teacher Dr. Andrew Pratt said.

Local trends show the older churches near the river and downtown are being abandoned as churches opt to build near Interstate 55, main avenues and new subdivisions, said Pratt, campus minister for the Baptist Student Union at Southeast Missouri State University. This trend will cause a commuter effect, which he thinks could cause smaller churches to die out.

"I call it the Wal-Martization of churches," he said. "People drive to Wal-Mart from a 30- to 50-mile radius. Nothing against Wal-Mart, but usually all the mom and pop stores end up closing down."

He said, "It's the same with churches. These larger churches are built up around the interstate and other main avenues, and people from a 30- to 50-mile radius decide to go there instead. They're more accessible, they're larger and they end up with the larger populations. The smaller churches, bless their heart, just can't compete."

Attendance rates have not changed much over the years, although there has been a lateral shift from denominational memberships to nondenominational or interdenominational churches in the last decade, Pratt said.

"People aren't interested in denominations, buildings and institutions," he said. "It's more about personal and spiritual experiences."

Pastor Mark Anderson of the Lynnwood Baptist Church agreed. "Most people today are not as committed to a denomination as they are to a local church that is meeting their needs," he said. "They are not as concerned about the label as they are about relationships."

Pratt said diversity was another important issue of the future. Churches need to be more racially diverse, he said, and women ministers will come for everybody in time as cultures broaden.

Anderson agreed, saying: "It's a good sign in churches when you see cultural diversity. It's an indication of openness and a willingness to accept people based on who they are, not what they are."

The Rev. Ron Watts of the La Croix Methodist Church said his denomination had already dealt with some diversity issues. "In the Methodist church we've settled a number of those issues," he said. "Women can hold any office, and we have many women who are ordained pastors."

The Rev. Phil Curran of the First Christian Church said future church members will still have the basic focus of delivering the Christian message. "We cannot worry about doctrine and denomination," he said. "The focus needs to be telling the community what our beliefs are."

"The Church is the community of faith," he said. "We stand as leaders to bring hope, to bring good news in the midst of all this strife."

Pratt said although churches will look more like shopping centers than traditional churches, their basic premise is the same. "The spiritual questions people ask and the spiritual needs people have really don't change," he said. "Ultimately, the people are still going to church to get those questions answered."

Anderson agreed, adding: churches need to watch their past to direct their future.

"Churches cannot compromise the message, but we have to change our methods to get the message across," he said. "Growth means reaching as many people as possible for Christ."