You Can’t Afford to Be a "Small" Church Anymore—Here’s the Math

Episode 78

Is the small church model dead? In this explosive episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Pastor Rob Myallis (ELCA) for a brutally honest conversation about the economic realities choking the life out of mid-sized churches. With rising costs, unsustainable pastoral expectations, and shifting cultural engagement, Rob unpacks why churches averaging 80–120 in attendance may not survive without radical change.

We tackle everything:

$30,000 health insurance costs
Why 150 people is the relational ceiling
The burnout crisis among solo pastors
Why people treat church like a rec center, not a sanctuary
And the hard truth: your old church model probably isn’t working

If you’ve ever asked, “Why are so many churches declining?” or “What future does my congregation really have?”—this one’s for you.

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Published on 2 months ago

Podcast Episode Details

You Can’t Afford to Be a "Small" Church Anymore—Here’s the Math