Is the Church on Hospice?

By Reverend Dr. Renita Marie Green, Columnist

As my vocational journey has led me into the sacred work of hospice chaplaincy, I have come to recognize that the spiritual and communal transitions within the lives of God’s people and the life of God’s church follow strikingly similar rhythms. Perhaps the missing piece for congregations in decline is hospice care. 

Hospice is a philosophy of care that shifts the focus from cure to comfort, from prolonging life at all costs to preserving dignity, presence, and meaning. Hospice is not a death sentence—it is an invitation to live differently, more intentionally. Some patients, in fact, improve enough to be discharged. Hospice is not about giving up; it is about letting go and holdingon to what truly matters. 

In much the same way, the church may be in a season where it is being invited to relinquish what no longer serves to embrace a deeper, more faithful way of being. 

In hospice care, it is not uncommon for some family members to be so overwhelmed by grief, fear, or unresolved pain that they search for someone to blame for the patient’s condition—sometimes even blaming the patient themselves. Often,laments such as “I told her to stop smoking” and “He just wouldn’t take his medication right” pour from hearts. 

The same dynamic often plays out in the church. As decline sets in, people begin pointing fingers. Some blame “the young people” for not showing up; others blame “the old guard” for not letting go. Some fault pastors for not preaching like they used to, or the culture for becoming too secular. Still others lash out at shifts in theology, worship style, or politics. 

But blame, while emotionally understandable, does not heal the condition. It may temporarily give voice to frustration, but it ultimately distracts from the deeper work of healing, adaptation, and reconciliation that both families—and churches—need in times of crisis. Just as in hospice, what is most needed is compassion, clarity, and courage—not condemnation.

For most on hospice, what once seemed urgent falls away, and people focus on love, connection, and meaning. For the church, this means refocusing on Christ’s call: feeding the hungry, healing the broken, and proclaiming good news to the poor. Institutional maintenance cannot replace incarnational ministry. Just as hospice often creates space for prayer, reconciliation, and peace, the church is invited into such a moment to rediscover humility, grace, and the radical edge of the gospel.

The churches that are not only surviving but thriving are those that have stopped chasing survival and started seeking transformation. They are smaller, more nimble, more courageous. They are deeply rooted in justice, hospitality, and hope. They are not trying to rebuild the past—they are reimagining the future.

The church can possibly emerge from hospice with a commitment to: 

1. Letting Go of What Is No Longer Works.
   Structures, traditions, and models that no longer bring life must be released.
2. Embracing Adaptive Leadership.
   Leaders must be willing to disrupt old patterns, listen deeply, and lead with vulnerability.
3. Reclaiming the Heart of the Gospel.
   The church must center its life on the radical love, justice, and humility of Jesus—not on institutional survival.

Hospice is a place of sacred transition—a gift that creates space for what really matters. As someone who bears witness to both human and ecclesial transitions, I believe the church is not without hope. It is in a liminal space between what was and what could be.

If we lean into this season with courage and faith, we may find that a spiritual hospice view is not about preparing the church for death—but for resurrection.

And we, above all people, know something about resurrection.