The Church and Harley Davidson

Harley black and orange is turning gray

Yesterday, I went to a motorcycle event at the local Harley dealer.  Today, I went to church and there was an interesting similarity between the two events.

I love motorcycles and I love the church.  But as I looked at the two crowds I realized the struggles of Harley-Davidson and the church were not that different. Perhaps we can look at Harley-Davidson and the motorcycle industry as a whole and find answer for what we need to do in the church. 

Harley-Davidson sales have been in steady decline for several years now and Harley finds itself fighting for market share in a declining market.  Harley has a long and storied history and is the most popular brand in the U.S.  It was only recently that it fell below 50% market share.  Since before the First World War it has been producing some incredible bikes.  Not that long ago production could not keep up with demand; if you wanted a Harley you paid your deposit, put your name on a waiting list and sat by the phone for the call that your bike had been delivered.

That is not the case any more.  Most Harley shops have crowded showroom floors, with both new and used bikes.  The waiting lists have disappeared and the sales projections provided by the company have not been met recently.  There are a number of factors, but the motorcycle market is in general decline and Harley is particularly vulnerable.  Harley now has to try to escape from the corner into which they have painted themselves.  That will be difficult, in part, because the allure of past success can be powerful, but also deadly.

Harley has a brand loyalty that is unlike any other brand.  You would be very surprised to find someone with the logo for Crest, Clorox or Chick-fil-A tattooed on his body, but the HD symbol is not that uncommon.  That brand loyalty is strongly associated with a subculture that is rooted in a nostalgic vision of the 50’s and 60’s.  Harley has attached its brand so closely with that subculture that they are synonymous.  And therein lies Harley’s challenge.  Harley’s segment of the market is aging; guys who were in their twenties in the 1950’s are in their 70’s or 80’s.  With the price of a new Harley as high at $40,000 and weighing just over 900 lbs. retirees may not want one. 

Having boxed itself in, Harley has to find a way to attract new customers without alienating its most loyal base.  Millennials, that coveted generation that everyone wants and no one is sure how to get, are not interested in Harley at least not the big engine bikes that are the hallmark of the brand.  A big expensive bike just doesn’t fit in their transportation plan.  What is a bike manufacturer to do?

You don’t have to be a mechanical engineer to see the similarities between Harley and the church.   As I was standing at the Harley event this weekend, surrounded by 100’s of bikers and bikes, I realized I was distinctly in the younger half of the gathering.  This morning I was sitting in a wonderful church service and as I looked around I realized I was again distinctly in the younger half of the crowd.   According to the Pew Research Center the median age in the U.S. is 46 and only two religious groups in the U.S. have a median age below the U.S. median.  http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/11/which-u-s-religious-groups-are-oldest-and-youngest/

This is an article that is most disturbing for those of us who love the Christian faith. The church has a sort of brand loyalty that is deeply associated with a certain subculture here in the U.S.  The Christian subculture almost exists in a Christian ghetto. 

I can almost hear someone say, “We have to be more innovative and creative and radical.”  That is the message of the church growth movement for the last 30 years.    The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and hoping for different results.  The track record of the church growth movement and seeker driven ministry is not that great; what the church has been doing hasn’t been working.  Our attempts to reach the next generation with our youth-orientated ministry are apparently not working.

As I read numerous articles about the bike industry in general and Harley in particular one comment stood out.   One industry insider said in effect, “If we want the next generation to ride, we need to take them riding.”  It sounds not unlike what Paul wrote in his second letter to Timothy. 

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 

The youth movement for the church has less to do with music, forms, building style or cool factor of the minister.  The way for us to have the next generation at the cross is to meet them and lead them there.