Develop a Discipleship System
The Tale of a Church Turnaround
By Ken Sloane
In 2017, Glendale United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, was facing the possibility of closure. In 1992, the church had 214 members with an average attendance of 91. Over the next decade (2002), membership and attendance shrank to half of those numbers. In 2016, Glendale reported a membership of 53 with an average attendance of 33. Then, in 2017, something happened to change the trajectory of decline. Today, the numbers tell a different story. In 2025, average worship attendance is around 100, and membership is 157. This church, which was on the verge of closing, has seen 300 percent growth!
The Power of the Connection
What was the miraculous event in 2017 that sparked this amazing turnaround? It may not seem miraculous to United Methodists who are part of a connectional church. Glendale partnered with a nearby church, Crievewood United Methodist Church, fewer than ten miles from Glendale’s location. Crievewood was larger and had three clergy on staff (and a seminary student hired to help bring the team to four) who agreed to take turns preaching at Glendale’s worship service and provide leadership to help Glendale reverse its decline and avoid closure The rotating clergy on Sunday morning offered great coverage but made it difficult for any of the four to build relationships with the Glendale congregation. Eventually, two of the four—Crievewood’s senior pastor, Rev. Peter van Eys, and the associate pastor, recently ordained Deacon Rev. Stephanie Dodge—provided the primary pastoral leadership for Glendale. After a little time, that responsibility passed completely to Rev. Stephanie Dodge (or, as she is known to most in the Glendale church family, Pastor Steph).
“So, I ended up just kind of falling into that position (as pastor), but I’m a deacon, which is kind of an odd placement, to put me as the lead pastor at the church. But that ended up working out,” is how Pastor Steph describes it. “The Bishop granted me sacramental authority at Glendale, which I've had until this past General Conference (2024), when deacons finally got empowered to celebrate the sacraments.” In 2020, her leadership at Glendale was affirmed, and she was officially appointed as pastor of the now-growing Glendale United Methodist Church!
Sharing Who We Are
A second factor in the turnaround was the decision to be clearer about the church’s identity as an inclusive and welcoming congregation. “Around 2017, our church voted to become a Reconciling Congregation,” Pastor Steph recalled. The Reconciling Ministries Network is made up of United Methodist individuals and congregations committed to the full participation of all LGBTQ+ people throughout the life and leadership of the church. “We were already very much moving in that direction,” Pastor Steph reflected, “so we decided to make it official. It was a unanimous vote. At that point, probably half our congregation was queer, so it just made sense.”
Making public Glendale UMC’s identity as a church that welcomes all was more than just that one congregational vote.
Steven Adair is a young adult who grew up in the church and was nurtured by this congregation over the years, even during the days when closing the church appeared to be a looming reality. Steven remembers the time of transition: “During that time when the clergy leaders from Crievewood UMC were trying to help us stop the decline, many ideas were tried to attract more people to visit. Worship time was moved up from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. to be more appealing to families. Weekly Communion was introduced to distinguish Glendale from nearby churches. A blended worship style was adopted, emphasizing making worship accessible for first-time visitors and creating a more welcoming environment.”
“One of the most meaningful changes was the inclusive welcome message spoken every Sunday,” Steven shares. “It affirms everyone, regardless of background, beliefs, or identity, as welcome and loved by God. This statement has been pivotal in helping people feel seen and accepted, including LGBTQ+ persons and those disillusioned by past church experiences.”
"One of the most meaningful changes was the inclusive welcome message spoken every Sunday. It affirms everyone, regardless of background, beliefs, or identity, as welcome and loved by God."
It is voiced every Sunday in worship with an announcement that could not be clearer:
“We at Glendale UMC want you to know that no matter where you've come from or where you are going; what you believe or what you may doubt; what you are feeling or just not feeling; what you have or don't have; and no matter the color of your skin, who you love or how you identify — all of who you are is welcomed into this community of faith by a God who loves you and knows you by name.”
Pastor Steph shares her observation of how important that moment in worship has become for the congregation. “It is so meaningful to people, a lot of people who come for the first time. Some people even start crying when they hear it, because they've never really been told ‘You're welcome here.’ It’s like it became our mission statement — it's who we are. It gives us focus on what our purpose is. I think so many churches, especially ones that have shrunk like we did, are trying to do so many different good things in the world that they just can't maintain. But that welcome statement gave us a laser focus. This is what we're going to do. We're going to be welcoming.”
Members of the congregation have thoughtfully considered how to make new people feel welcome and valued without making them feel pressured or uncomfortable.
This welcome is visible to many who have not yet set foot in the church. A billboard on a major highway in Nashville proclaims it as well, as recounted by a couple on Glendale UMC’s website: “We saw the Glendale billboard that read, ‘We are sorry if the church has hurt and failed you,’ and decided we would give the church one last chance. After hearing Glendale’s welcome message during worship the first time we came, we knew we were home.”
Using Media (Social and Otherwise) to Be Seen
Securing billboard space on a major roadway seemed like a miracle in itself. Steven Adair, in addition to being a longtime, extremely active member of Glendale UMC, has a day job at United Methodist Communications, the denomination’s worldwide resource for communicating the impact of local churches, annual conferences, general agencies, and faithful United Methodists around the world. Steven knows communication and is quite comfortable with the technologies available.
On social media, Glendale became a model for engagement. Photos of new members by the church sign, messages on the marquee, and consistent updates helped spread awareness. People found Glendale through Facebook, Reddit, and even international livestreams. The church prioritized online worship with interaction in the comments, live prayer requests, and digital connection points.
The Glendale UMC website (glendaleumc.org) is a shining example of what a great digital front door a church website can be: clear, informative, engaging design, inspiring testimonies, and reporting on church ministries and mission. It is as welcoming as the many other welcoming elements of this growing church! There is one section you won’t find on many church websites, but it has made a significant impact for Glendale UMC: the T-shirt store.
This church family in Glendale seems to have embraced the idea of purchasing and wearing the church’s mission message as they move in the world beyond their hour in worship (though the shirts are worn by many in worship). The messages on the shirts are less about the church specifically than about the ministry of welcoming all, which is, of course, the heart of Glendale UMC’s mission. Sending folks out in these shirts is the equivalent of 100 “biological billboards” moving across the landscape of the church’s mission field. And the impact reaches beyond Glendale, Tennessee.
A decade ago, Glendale UMC could have been just another church that died; instead, it thrived. The congregation turned it around because they reached out to the connection of United Methodism and got help from a neighboring church that provided great pastoral leadership. Second, they identified themselves clearly to the community — who they were and the mission of acceptance and welcoming all, which God had put on their hearts. Finally, they embraced every medium possible to tell their story, reinforce their mission, and inspire others to live and love as Jesus loved. That’s the tale of the turnaround.
Ken Sloane is the Director of Stewardship & Generosity for Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church.
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