Compatible? How to Tell if Two Churches Are Good Candidates for a Merger

A church merger is a popular option for both thriving churches to maintain their ministry momentum. On the one hand, before the pandemic even had an impact, 80% of Protestant churches in North America were already stagnant or struggling. On the other hand, many larger, thriving churches opt to merge with other congregations as they grow.

While a popular option, a merger between two faith-based organizations is never a sure thing. Without a prayerful strategy in place, it can create stress and throw off vision and mission. Here are a few questions to ask yourself and your leadership teams to help you figure out if your church is a good fit for a merger with another ministry.

Are you merging for the right reasons?

This is the pivotal starting point. Why are you considering a merger? Is your church dwindling, and you just want to find a way to keep things going? 

Survival is never a great reason for a church merger. At the same time, if you’re growing and you simply merge with a church because “it helps us grow,” that isn’t a great reason either.

Mergers should be driven by legitimate, Bible-backed initiatives. Are you praying about a potential merger? What is the mission and vision behind the move? If there is a God-given, Kingdom-building element to a merger, that is when you can go into the project with confidence.

What kind of merger are you considering?

There is more than one kind of church merger. These merger options are typically broken down into a few different categories and are often given different names. In a nutshell, though, they are:

• A merger in which an older, healthy church merges with a smaller church. At times, this can turn into the complete consolidation or absorption of the smaller church by the bigger one.
• A merger in which one or both churches is unhealthy. In this case, a healthy church can help a hurt congregation heal or both congregations can go through a restorative process together.
• A merger in which two healthy churches come together to create a bigger, stronger ministry. This coalescing of forces functions like a marriage, where both work together (often with one taking the lead) to create a better scenario.

There are many other nuances to church mergers, but these three encapsulate most scenarios. Which one is your church? What about a proposed church you might merge with? The answer can influence if and how you go about the merging process.

How will leadership work?

Leading through a merger is tricky business. You’re bringing two different leadership structures together into a single faith ecosystem. Even if your theologies line up perfectly (which is often not the case), you still have to consider the inevitable nuances in how things are done and the varying expectations that everyone has.

As you consider aligning two separate churches into one body, start with your leaders. How will the leadership in your new church work? 

Is someone stepping aside, stepping down, or retiring to make room for the other church’s leader? Will there be two pastors in the mix? If the latter, are the two leaders compatible and able to share leadership responsibilities? These are critical questions that can make or break an otherwise obvious merger.

Is your congregation ready for a church merger?

Along with the kind of merger, consider the kind of people you’re trying to merge. What is the state of mind of your congregation as you consider merging with another group of Christians? XPastor suggests there are four different kinds of people in a church merger:

• People who are ready for change and a new adventure.
• Those who need thorough explanations and convincing, but who are gung-ho once on board.
• Those who are along for the ride and don’t influence the decision significantly either way.
• Glass half-empty individuals who see problems everywhere.

Which of these groups is in the majority at your church right now? The answer can indicate if your church is ready to merge with another church or not.

Gauging If a Church Merger is the Right Move

These four questions just scratch the surface. When it comes to a merger, you want to be sure your church is ready to go the distance. Mergers in the faith space can become so complicated that there are even attorneys who have chosen to specialize in this area. 

On a less legalistic note, companies like Ministry Solutions Group also exist partly to help churches successfully navigate church mergers. Our experienced team is ready to help you gauge whether a merger is right or not. We can help you plan, execute, and follow up on a merger with the confidence that it is the right move for your ministry. If you’re unsure what to do, reach out and we can talk about the best move for your ministry moving forward.