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In our local churches in our town in NC the Presbyterian and Catholics are the most consistent in the past 50 years. They have grown in finances and numbers.Our local Churches of God no longer have 'local' congregations. Over half of our people drive miles past other churches to attend. making our congregations transient. We have been sort of like a Yo yo for the past20-30 years. Our people used to walk to church from the mill villages, but the mills longer exist. The Catholics and Presbyterians I know have been consistent attenders during the mills and after.Are most of our churches like this? Members living up to 30 miles away and driving in for Sunday Morning Worship? Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/

I knew people who were members of every Church of God in a 20 mile radius. They would get made and leave or go try out a new pastor or God would tell them to go sand so.I have come to think of these as bug out members. They get a seed under their dentures and they will bug out to a place where they can hear what they want to hear or get their way.What happened in many of these cases is this destructive behavior was reinforced by the pastor of the church they were running to. He was so desperate for help that he'd put them right to work in the music department, teaching, or other positions of leadership. Then they would eventually hear from God and bug out to another place where their membership was already.On paper it would look like quick church growth or church going downhill...depending on whether they were coming or going.Want to know the truth? These people usually had giftings and talent. But they would not commit themselves for the long haul. Plus they usually specialized in endeavoring to bring a bunch from their previous church.And we had the nerve to call it church growth

It might be that Pentecostal churches, being among the fastest growing segment, might be springing up and competing with Churches of God in the area, thus draining them to some extent.

While Pentecostal and Charismatic churches have grown in number, I don't think there are nearly as many Pentecostal or Charismatic church buildings in the US as there are Presbyterian. And outside of Cleveland and certain other parts, if you want to go to a COG brand denominational church, chances are you are going to have to drive a while to get to it-- that 20 or 30 mile radius, or whatever, if it is a part of the country that has them. Could it be that some of these congregations might either have a little more say-so in who the pastor is, or a lot less say-so? Preaching is less important to most Roman Catholics than communion. The priest is believed to have power to bless the communion that no one else has. if they don't like his preaching, he is still considered to have that power. I think they can go to any of their churches but are considered a part of the local parish. Presbyterians may have a bit more input into who they have as pastor than Presbyterians.And most COG people these days wouldn't consider a member an outright sinner if he started going to a PH or A/G church instead, would they? Roman Catholics think their church is the church