The Orchard Group

by Paul S. Williams
President, Orchard Group Inc.
Updated Weekly 

Go Urban, Young Man!

Christian churches have always been strong in rural areas, and in the later half of the 20th century we gained great strength in the suburbs. One place you have not historically found us, however, is in the heart of the city. If we ever were there, we sold out in the 1960s and moved to the suburbs. After all, that is where the action was. But beware, there is a change coming that few anticipated.

Research conducted by Arthur Nelson, the director of the Metro Institute of Virginia Tech, indicates that by the year 2025 there could be 22 million surplus "large lot" homes in the United States. "Large lot" homes are those built on more than one-sixth of an acre. Where do you find "large lot" homes? In the suburbs.

All across America newly developing neighborhoods have been stopped dead in their tracks. As families move out of the houses they lost through foreclosure, renters move in, or the houses stand empty, scarring the neighborhood with their overgrown lawns. Crime follows. In Lee County, Florida, in neighborhoods where one in four new houses stands empty, robberies are up 58 percent. In the 10 suburban Charlotte neighborhoods where foreclosures are the highest, there was a 33 percent increase in crime between 2003 and 2006.

So where are the people going? They are leaving the suburbs and moving back to the gentrifying inner city, where property values are increasing, even in this stagnant economy.

Many sociologists say the return to the city is no fad. It is here to stay. People are tired of driving 20 miles to find a good restaurant. They want to walk the neighborhood, buy from a local hardware store, and take reliable public transportation. Twenty-somethings and retired baby boomers are flocking to New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, and every other city with a vibrant urban scene.

So what should the church do? How about we lead the trend, instead of lagging behind? Why not be the first to go back to the cities with vibrant new community-oriented churches? The good news is that it is already happening-in Boston, New York, Seattle, Cincinnati, Denver, and a host of other cities.

From the first century to the 21st, the city has always been where the gospel has thrived the most. It is just as true today as it was 2,000 years ago. We can change the world if we begin with the city!

For the archives of And So It Goes, log on to http://www.christianstandard.com/
"Used with permission of Christian Standard, where this column first appeared."