A strategy for effective membership retention in the Gisenyi District of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the North-West Rwanda Field

Abstract

The Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) churches globally face the challenge of members dropping out. The Northwest Rwanda Field (NWRF) is no exception. For instance, a church membership audit conducted in 2017 among churches in the Gisenyi district of the Seventh-day Adventist , Rwanda, revealed that the church had lost 35% of its members. Furthermore, the second quarter of the 2017 NWRF report indicated that 45% of members were not attending church services regularly. This study investigated the strategies for retaining church members in the NWRF. The guiding study questions were: What are the participants’ demographic information on gender, age, and church experience in the churches of the Gisenyi district SDA, Rwanda? Why do church members stop attending church services in churches in the Gisenyi district SDA, Rwanda? What strategies can be used to help retain church members from leaving the churches in the Gisenyi district SDA, Rwanda? The study employed a mixed-methods approach using the descriptive research design. The study involved church members from five churches of the Gisenyi district SDA, alongside 27 pastors, 27 first-church elders, and 13 NWRF office workers, and 60 heads of departments of five churches participated in the study. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview guides. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, and results were presented in percentages, tables, and themes. Results indicated that church member dropouts were primarily due to church programs, the behavior and actions of church members who included leaders, and various social and individual factors. Results on the members’ retention strategies included promoting inclusive participation in church programs, providing support for the needy, and forming small group practices. The study recommended implementing a designed intervention strategy to address retention issues among church members.