I left a small church that had been my home for nearly 15 years. As with so many mainline Protestant churches, this one struggled with the balance of ministering to the aging congregation that it had and creating new things (ministries, parts of worship, fellowship) to attract new members. The concerns about money grew and grew until they seemed to be the true mission of the church. Some who had grown up in that church saw little difference, it seemed, between that church and the Church, the body of believers. Despite the presence of wonderful people, especially a few elders who were beautiful examples of faith, the desperation outweighed the joy more than I wanted to accept. That process took years, but it was impossible for us to stop once it began.