Why should we who are desperately trying to preserve what remains of our liberal democracy, purportedly a secular liberal democracy, care about declining church membership?
  Institutional leadership is inherently conservative. Leaders, predominantly from upper classes, have no need of change, and tend to maintain the status quo.
  That's why Bob Dylan said "Don't follow leaders/Watch your parking meters."
  And that's why the entire boomer generation , believing in social science, not theological dogma, abandoned organized religion.
  But when boomers grew more conservative, with corporate jobs, marriage, mortgages, children and mothers-in-law, many drifted back into religious institutions.
  Like all our conservative institutions, the church has deliberately targeted the young; thus the younger pastors. But religion is conservative and even younger devotees will adhere to conservative principles. 
  Ditto young recruits in the army, corporation, police, the law, medicine.