| The Future of American Christianity? |
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| Noticed News |
| Friday, 13 March 2009 08:31 |
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We recently pointed to the stunning findings of the American Religious Identification Survey, which was released March 9. Now David Gushee has written an opinion piece for ABP News that suggests the future of American Christianity. Here's a brief excerpt: I think we will witness (are already witnessing) a winnowing process in which weak, ineffective, or maladaptive churches and religious organizations are simply going to die. Congregations will close, parachurch organizations and schools will shut down, and entire denominations will fold or merge with others. Creative efforts will be required everywhere to forestall this fate. One of Gushee's main points is that the winnowing process will affect all areas of organized religion, from churches, to denominations, to schools. The process of merging and adapting will decide who survives. He also suggests that the more strident Christian voices have played a role in the decline of American Christianity, and will continue to do so. In the end, Christianity, he believes, will emergy smaller, but more authentic and relevant. We tend to agree with Gushee's assessment. We would also argue that the winnowing process is being accelerated by the severe economic pressures of our day. At the same time, we look forward to the time when Christianity is defined more by our actions of grace than in strident voices and division. What's your view on the future of American Christianity? Comments (2)
  written by dana, March 13, 2009
I heard a phrase that explains a LOT--we are at a time when we are at time where the church has come full circle from trying to reach the unchurched to unchurching the reached. Stop watering it down. Jesus was not PC in his time, neither should we be PC in our time. Being told what you are doing is wrong/sin is hard to hear---but hear it we should!
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I do not believe our message should change, the Good News is still Good News, but I believe that we need to understand how to communicate the authentic gospel to a generation who are crying out for authenticity. In the New Testament there was authenticity written on every page - Jesus met people's felt need, not what He thought they needed. In the book of Acts the disciples/apostles continued to meet people's needs - healing the sick, raising the dead, preaching release to captives, sight to the blind - you know the stuff that I wonder how many of us in our daily walk see happening. Has the world been freed of sick people? Did God stop healing people? Have we become more consumed with getting people to our meetings and into our facilities than going to the streets and feeding the poor?
I believe that the church in America will struggle and will decline until it gets back to the fundamentals - the final words of our commander in chief - "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."