The Declining Role of the Church

 So we're seeing news stories about how church attendance is declining because a quarter of young people (20-30) say the church doesn't reflect or support their beliefs. (What this usually means is that the church is clinging to conservative beliefs while the congregation becomes more liberal.)

This has created a ... discussion among church elders. A lot of them, the older folk, refuse to change anything. Those new-fangled beliefs ain't fer us! And the younger folk shrug. "Then we won't go church."

There's a clash of philosophies here, I suppose. The central question is, "What is the church's role?" Is it:

1. To prescribe what the congregation believes;

OR

2. To reflect what the congregation believes.

The elders cling to 1, while the youngsters point at 2.

Which one is it =really=?