Mount Vernon Church Tries to Attract Young People

by Anniel Buckley

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y.

Every Sunday at Gospel Assembly Church Bishop Lloyd Blake offers visa gift cards to congregation members who bring someone new to church. On Wednesdays, he sends a recorded message to church members to encourage them to bring co-workers or friends.

Bishop Blake wants to build his congregation and attract more young people. He, like other religious leaders, finds that young people don’t seem interested in church. Half of those between 13 and 25 surveyed by the Springtide Research Institute said they  felt out of sync with religion and only 29 % said they were active in a spiritual community.

Bishop Blake has preached since he was fourteen and as he got older so did his congregation. Bishop Blake said, “The devil is over taking the younger generation. The end is near and it’s furthering them from God.”

He related a  bible story where God told the Israelites that if they spread lamb blood on their doorposts, a plague would pass them. Bishop Blake uses this story because he thinks that no matter how far young people may stray from God, they can still be protected.

Church member Ayden Rookwood, 21, said when he does go to church,  “I invite my friends but they do not come now. If I was inviting them to a club or something then they would come.” Another Gen Z parishioner Ashley Goodwin, 18, said she doesn’t go to church because, “The older people in church make me feel judged as if I don’t belong and the Bible says to come as you are and they are not leading by example.”

Some don’t go to church because it doesn’t fit their lifestyle. Crystal Houe, 19, said she doesn’t go to church because she’s still young and religion is a serious thing that she wants to “party the rest of her youth out first.”

Bishop Blake isn’t giving up. He will continue to try to reach younger people and if the Visa gifts don’t work, he will continue to hold youth conferences. He has started a youth ministry while making Friday nights at his church youth night. Bishop Blake said “To bring young people in, young people connect to other young people so the younger in the congregation have to help spread the word. There is also a need for counseling programs for people to listen to young people and explain why they must follow God. Lastly, we have to get young people where they are most at, which is social media.”