Churches are full of women- where are the men?

Generally, a typical church congregation comprises an adult crowd that is approximately 61 per cent women and 39 per cent men. This gender gap can be observed across all age categories - young adults, middle-aged, and seniors. Weekday activities often draw 70 per cent to 80 per cent of women participants.

As many as 90 per cent of the boys raised by parents who are members of a church and therefore attend Sunday services together abandon it by their 20th birthday. Many never return mainly because of the poor example set by their fathers.

Men have been absent from the body of Christ and a significant number of those who attend church service do it out of habit. They are not impacted in any way by what is taught in church.

A few men attend church services to make their mothers, sisters, brothers, wives, or girlfriends happy. Most men do not serve in church departments or participate in any events. Throughout the world, the church is always short of men. Muslim men are openly, publicly, and unashamedly committed to their religion and faithfully attend prayer meetings daily.

Jesus had no difficulty captivating men to follow him and be his disciples. Rugged fishermen dropped nets and boats full of fish, and crooked tax collectors’ hearts melted at his presence. Today, it is hard to convince men to put down the remote control for a few hours on Sunday to attend church service.

The book of 1st Chronicles contains genealogical records and many people skip it deeming it boring and irrelevant to their life. It begins with Adam then goes on to cover 3,500 years of Jews history; to their time of captivity and return to Jerusalem. They reveal to us that God is on His throne and He is in control. When His people obey Him, He blesses them and when they disobey Him, He disciplines or punishes them.

Most men in those days had completely lost it - they had no vision or sense of direction. But there was a group of men who remained faithful and focused - the priests in Jerusalem. These were 1,760 heads of their fathers’ houses and were able men for the work of the service of God.

God calls able men to serve him. The problem today is that it is getting harder to find men who will take a stand against culture and traditions and say, “As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord.” Men, who will put on the full armour of God, gird their waist with truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness.

We are in spiritual warfare and God is calling able men to take a stand on the frontline.

What are the characteristics of the able man? The first is availability. It does not matter what abilities you possess; if you are not available to serve God you are useless. “Also, I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then I said here I am. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) 

Today, it is as though men have put a sign on that reads ‘do not disturb’. They claim to be too busy yet every man that God used was busy: Moses was busy in Horeb; Gideon was threshing wheat by the winepress; Elisha was plowing; Nehemiah was a cupbearer; James and John were fishing; and Matthew was collecting taxes.

Secondly, the Bible tells us that it is required in stewards that one is found faithful. It is so stressful and irritating to work with people who are undependable. People who could be great assets to the Church with their gifts and talents; but one cannot count on them.

In the parable of the talents, the Lord said to the servant he gave five talents, “Well done good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord.” (Matthew 25:21) And to the servant he gave one talent, He called him a wicked and lazy servant and He took the talent from him and gave who multiplied his from five to 10.

The third is mobility. Jesus told his disciples, “Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) Do not be one to sit and enjoy salvation alone, go out there and share the good news with the world. Moses moved from Horeb to Egypt. Amos moved from the hills of Tekoa to Israel. David moved from the grazing lands to the palace. Do not be static and stagnant - move!

The fourth is stability. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free; and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1) We are in a spiritual battle and many are falling all around us. Do not stand in the wrong place of doubt, sin and unbelief - stand in faith.

Bishop David Muriithi,

Founder & Overseer, House of Grace International Ministries