
What Churches Should Do About Inactive Members
From Rainer on Leadership by Thom Rainer
May 21, 2026 · 23 min
About this episode
Josh and Sam discuss the challenges churches face with inactive members and how to address bloated membership rolls.
In this episode, Josh and Sam address a widespread reality in many churches: bloated membership rolls and shrinking attendance. Across North America, millions of names remain on church rolls even though those people haven’t attended in months... or years. In some cases, membership lists are four or five times larger than actual weekly worship attendance. The result? Confusion, unhealthy metrics, and weakened accountability. A growing number of congregations are rethinking the issue: clarifying expectations, tightening processes, and distinguishing between truly inactive members and those with legitimate life circumstances. The post What Churches Should Do About Inactive Members appeared first on Church Answers .
People in this episode
Host: Thom Rainer
Guests: Josh, Sam
Topics covered
- inactive members
- church attendance
- membership rolls
- congregational health
- accountability
Keywords
- inactive members
- church attendance
- membership lists
- congregational health
- accountability
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Church Answers
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