David Murrow
By Suzanne O'Keeffe, 700 Club Interactive
CBN.com – MEN AND CHURCH
David Murrow has discovered the majority of people filling church seats on any Sunday are female. In 2007 he spoke at the Presbyterian Church Men's Churchwide Gathering (PCUSA) and had to make sure his destination was correct because; "Final score: Presbyterian women: 3,000+, Presbyterian men: 88." According to David, men are considered an "unreached people group." Traditionally, the decision to attend church and the relationships developed has been left to women and men tag along. Not to say there are not men who don't like church but as a whole those are found to be men who are have a bit of the "Venus values" in them. These men are comfortable with being verbal, sensitive and musical. The men who like to chop wood, work with their hands, the rough and tough kind of guy have a difficult time fitting in and feeling part of a system that seemingly caters to the female personality. These men are not against God or Christianity, but men were created to feel needed and the current environment of church these days does not lend itself to that. The result has been several categories of men who are not attending church.
MISSING MEN
Who are the men that are MIA? There are several categories and first mentioned is the High Achieving Men. These men are known as leaders in the community, CEO's, doctors, lawyers and other professionals. According to an interview conducted among a large group of renowned evangelicals (mainly men), it was discovered that sixty percent were nominally involved in church and some had totally disengaged from church. Some of these men have turned to small groups and away from the "public eye." The lack of efficiency and church being "focused on the wrong things" have caused them to join fellowships that have a wider and more substantial impact.
Not surprising is the Young, Single Men who represent the larger portion of empty seats. Combating the influence of the world, being raised without fathers, the idea "church is not for men" and combine that with the church designed for women and the equation sums a negative. The male race loves adventure, competition and NOT being embarrassed. When traditional Sunday School programs require the fine motor skills and verbal communication that are not yet developed and all young boys can think about is kicking that soccer ball or playing hoops on the court or building that fort in the woods and getting out of the classroom setting; no longer do they want to attend so the sport league wins. That carries throughout their developing years as often youth groups are a "sedentary experience" and so again the "league" wins and the gap between male and female attendance widens. Reaching the coming of age as young men, they are already out of church.
DRAWING MEN AND THE GOSPEL
David offers practical ideas that will lead to less feminine church and allow men to be comfortable and themselves. In the chapter Getting the Big Picture Right, he explains the answer is found in the story of the gospels. Jesus was a man who against all odds walked the earth with courage and authority all the while being the hero of the world. He further writes that Jesus said,"follow me." The male mind hears that as a command with mission versus women who hear it as desired relationship. In a "therapeutic church" the message that men desire, the message that invites soldiers to join the ranks is lost. The answer is to challenge men not by begging but with the idea of risk being involved and an eternal reward at the end.
The bottom line is that churches must re-vamp their approach to men, removing a portion of the feminine approach before male attendance is totally missing on Sunday morning. While not all males fit the "real men" description, a large portion do and enough that the effects of losing their presence will lessen the strength and purpose of church. David does not attempt to remove women or what attracts them 100% but to bring balance and those things that will enable men to feel church in a way which they too can relate.
David is married with two children and three grandchildren and currently lives in Alaska.