Do We Really Need So Many Churches?

I've heard this question many times, and to be honest, I've even asked it a time or two. Do we really need so many churches, especially in areas that seem saturated with them?

It's a valid question. After all, do we also really need McDonald's restaurants every half-dozen blocks? Is it really necessary that a Walgreens sits, seemingly, on every other street corner? How many Wal-Marts, gas stations, Starbucks are enough?

Those businesses each use strategic research to determine the need of the market they want to enter before setting up shop. The smart business owner will only open if there is a profit to be made.

But, a church is nothing like a business. In fact, most churches don't have the resources to research the area they serve. So, when you have a dozen churches crammed into a small area, is that too many?

There are analysts who can probably break this down into much greater detail. And, sure, if all the churches in the area are doing the same things (singing the same songs, preaching the same messages, doing the same thing in the community) problems will arise in areas these churches are not impacting.

However, if these churches are doing different things, even slightly, together they will be impacting many different areas of their community. Taking this a step farther, no single church can cover all the needs of the people in their community, but multiple churches tackling different needs can cover a greater area.

Translation: Many churches are necessary in communities in order to effectively minister and share the Gospel to the entire community they serve.