Over the past few decades, the American church has experienced a significant exodus. Millions have stepped away from regular church attendance, many still identifying as Christians, yet disconnected from a local faith community. This growing movement, often referred to as “dechurching,” isn’t just a trend, it’s a deeply personal story unfolding in cities, suburbs, and small towns across the country. In response, some churches are exploring a different way forward. It is a path rooted in slower, smaller, and more relational work. Ronnie Goble, pastor of Rooted Church in Metro Detroit, is leaning into that approach. Rooted is a young church plant that’s already become a home for people for the dechurched and the never churched. Through everyday presence, intentional relationships, and a patient approach to discipleship, Ronnie and his church are meeting people where they are and inviting them into something deeper. In this conversation, Ronnie shares what they’re learning from the frontlines about dechurching, reconnection, and the kind of slow work they are doing for renewal in their city.
INTERVIEW WITH RONNIE GOBLE – ROOTED CHURCH
Hosted by Jon Crawford
Jon: Over the past three decades, about forty million Americans have stopped attending church. It's a pretty staggering trend. We're also seeing people like yourself, Ronnie, who are responding to that reality in intentional ways. So, I’d love to hear: what are some of the signs of dechurching you're seeing, and how is your church responding?
Ronnie: Yeah, we’ve been seeing it too. There’s some literature out there, and honestly, every week either myself or Alfonso, our pastoral resident, ends up talking to someone where that theme comes up. As a church plant without our own building, we’re in coffee shops a lot, bumping into people who say they’re Christians, but it’s almost expected now that they’re not part of a church.
Our church, Rooted, just celebrated our one-year anniversary. I looked at our membership before talking with you, and two-thirds of our members were either non-believers before or professing believers who weren’t connected to a church. That includes some of our early core team, but a lot of those folks are people we’ve reached since starting.
Jon: That’s incredible. As a way to show how you are reaching these dechurched folks and non-believers, are there particular stories that stand out to you?
Ronnie: Definitely. One guy, Preston, had some Christian background. He went to a Christian school as a kid, but hadn’t followed Jesus. He didn’t really understand the gospel and had never been part of a church. A guy in our church met him at the gym, invited him, and now he’s part of our community.
Then there’s a family who joined a couple of months ago. They were what you might call “de-church casualties.” Their previous church merged with another, then the new leadership sold the building and fired the pastor. It was a mess. They were deeply involved, and after all that, they didn’t attend anywhere for a year and a half. But one of our core team members became their nanny, started inviting them, and they came to our first service over a year ago. They were still trying to follow Jesus, but were just kind of displaced.
And there are so many who just casually fell out of the habit post-COVID, or after becoming parents, or because of life changes. In Metro Detroit, where we are, a lot of the big churches that rose up in the ’80s and ’90s aren’t as connected now. People were on the fringes, not being discipled, and now many have just drifted away.
Jon: I’ve noticed that too. People coming from larger churches, or even church plants, but never really being discipled. What I hear in your stories is that people are being met in the everyday; in gyms, through work, at coffee shops. What does that look like for you guys?
Ronnie: Yeah, we try to do as much ministry in public spaces as we can. Coffee shops, Panera's, parks. One story I think about is Michelle. She became a Christian through another church just before COVID, but got displaced during the pandemic. She was a barista at the Panera where we have our men’s Bible study. Over time, she’d hang around after work, talk to us, and ask questions. She was living alone, watching Bible Project videos, trying to follow Jesus, but had never really been part of a church.
She’s a member now. But I don’t think she would’ve come if she’d just seen a YouTube ad. She needed to be able to build trust over time, be invited, and literally, she needed a ride. We wouldn’t have been able to know even that last bit without building relationship over time. There are tons of people like her who have some spiritual interest but aren’t connected anywhere.
Jon: That’s so good. I love that “as-you-go” approach. Not just ministry events, but doing life publicly, being open and intentional. What does that posture mean for how you structure your church and your team?
Ronnie: For us, it all comes back to the vision of why we planted the church. Most of our core team came from churches we loved. We didn’t do this to build a “better” church. We did it because there are people here who don’t know Jesus, and people who say they know Him but aren’t part of His church. And someone needs to go to them.
We have a relational approach to ministry. We’re not trying to win on Instagram; we’re trying to have real conversations with real people. It’s slower. It’s not flashy. But it’s how disciples are made.
And honestly, having our staffing model set up through Reliant is a huge part of what makes that possible. Both Alfonso and I are 100% supported by ministry partners, meaning it doesn’t have to come through tithe at our church. That gives us space to patiently plant, not rush, not chase fast growth, but focus on evangelism and discipleship.
Jon: Yeah, I remember that same gift when I was planting. That phrase, patiently plant, really sticks with me. You’re not in a hurry to manufacture growth. You're walking at the speed of relationship.
Ronnie: Exactly. I tell people all the time, if you're reaching lost people or immature believers, it’s going to take a while before they’re giving consistently. They might be digging out of debt or just learning what giving is. So, if your plan is based on fast sustainability, you’re probably going to target mature Christians, which defeats the point of planting to reach the unreached.
We’ve been given the ability to plant slowly and intentionally. And we’ve got partners across the country praying for us, too, which is just as crucial. You need a team praying for miracles because seeing people come to faith and grow is miraculous.
Jon: I love that. That support allows you to keep the mission in front. And what I’m hearing is that your whole community is on board with that, not just the staff. You’re building a culture where the people of the church feel the weight of inviting others in.
Ronnie: That’s the goal. We’re not trying to carry all the outreach ourselves. We want to equip our people to live on mission where they already are, in their neighborhoods, at work, or at the gym.
Jon: As we wrap up, I’d love to ask, what would you say to someone who’s noticing the dechurching trend and wants to reach their community in the middle of it?
Ronnie: Two things come to mind, and they might sound like they’re in tension, but they’re both essential.
First, you need a missional approach. Not just marketing to other Christians but reaching people who don’t know Jesus or aren’t connected to His church. That has to be front and center.
But second, you also need a robust vision of what it means to be part of a church. Membership matters. If all we do is gather people but never teach them what the church is, we’ll just keep perpetuating the trend. We have to invite them in, walk with them, and show them what it means to be part of the people of God.
Jon: That’s powerful. It’s slower but often leads to deep Christian community. Thanks for sharing your heart and for the way you’re embodying that patient, faithful presence in Metro Detroit. Grateful that we get to partner with you and Alfonso as you do this work.
Ronnie: Thanks, Jon. Grateful for the conversation.
