The 14 Warning Signs from Autopsy of a Deceased Church Every Pastor Should Know!

Churches don’t have to decline; by recognizing the early warning signs, they can rediscover health and vitality. In Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Thom Rainer shares 14 powerful lessons that not only serve as a wake-up call but also provide a hopeful roadmap for renewal and growth.

Chapter Highlights: Autopsy of a Deceased Church

Chapter 1 – Slow Erosion: Churches rarely collapse overnight. It’s the small, unnoticed declines in prayer, passion, and mission that slowly drain life away.

Chapter 2 – The Past Is the Hero: When the “good old days” become more important than the present mission, the church stops moving forward. Nostalgia kills vision.

Chapter 3 – The Church Refused to Look Like the Community: The church should reflect and reach its neighborhood, not hide from it. When we stop engaging our neighbors, we lose our relevance.

Chapter 4 – The Budget Moved Inwardly: Money reveals the heart. Dying churches spend more on themselves than on reaching the lost.

Chapter 5 – The Great Commission Becomes the Great Omission: The command to “go and make disciples” gets ignored. A church that no longer reaches out will not last.

Chapter 6 – The Preference-Driven Church: When members fight for their own comfort and style, the mission suffers. Church becomes about “me” instead of “we.”

Chapter 7 – Pastoral Tenure Decreases: Constant pastoral turnover—or leaders who settle for the status quo—creates instability. Without steady, mission-focused leadership, churches decline.

Chapter 8 – The Church Rarely Prayed Together: Prayer is the lifeblood of a church. When prayer fades, so does power.

Chapter 9 – The Church Had No Clear Purpose: Doing things “because we always have” isn’t vision. Without a mission, churches drift toward death.

Chapter 10 – The Church Obsessed Over the Facilities: Buildings became more important than people. Pride in the past replaced passion for the future.

Chapters 11–14 – Is There Hope? Yes. Churches can be revived through prayer, confession, radical change, and renewed outward focus. Even dying churches can leave a lasting legacy by giving, merging, or planting something new.

The story of a dying church doesn’t have to be your story. Through Relevance Ministry Marketing and the Strategic Envisioning process by The Malphurs Group, we help churches recognize the warning signs, clarify vision, and build a sustainable path toward renewed health and growth.

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