Exit Interviews

This article will identify questions to ask former church members as to why they chose to leave.

Exit Interview – A short survey conducted between a non-biased individual and former church member to determine the reason or reasons for departure.

Conducting exit interviews with former members is seldom done in most churches. The information an exit interview can supply, however, can be overwhelmingly insightful.

An exit interview is best conducted by a third party rather than by an elder, deacon or minister. Church leaders may ask a trusted Christian individual from another congregation to conduct the interviews. The purpose of the interview is not to fight or even defend the church’s doctrine or reasoning. Rather, the one gathering information is enlisted to listen and write down the information supplied by the exiting party.

Many websites contain a list of questions that may be valuable for the congregation choosing to participate. A general search under “church member exit interviews” will provide many resources to consider.