Unchurching: The Exodus from Institutional Forms of Church | Richard Jacobson | TEDxPaloAltoCollege

In this talk, former minister and author, Richard Jacobson, discusses a trend happening in the US - People leaving institutional forms of church in large numbers for a different way to express spirituality. Richard Jacobson quit his full-time job as a pastor in 2003 because he was having a crisis of faith. He wasn’t having doubts about God or even doubts about the church. He was having doubts about the way people “do” church today. The first Christian churches were simple communities, but many of today’s churches have become corporations. Drawing upon his experience in writing, art, and social media, Jacobson created the animated YouTube channel, Church Anarchist, wrote his first book, Unchurching: Christianity Without Churchianity, launched an accompanying Unchurching Podcast, and an online comic book. Jacobson’s work comes as more and more people are disengaging with churches in the U.S., and his idea suggests that spirituality is more fully experienced in a less traditional intimate community. He now helps moderate a rapidly growing online community of “unchurching” Christians from all around the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at