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That’s the question that the Southern Baptist Convention is not wrestling with as it tries to figure out how to jump-start the Great Commission Resurgence during its annual meeting in Orlando. The guys over at Religious Connections offer their characteristically disabused take, while USA Today‘s Cathy Grossman wonders whether anyone really cares. Her point is that the whole denominational thing is, like Barbara Boxer’s hair, so yesterday.
After all, the liberal churches are also shrinking, and the moderate churches are shrinking too–if by churches you mean things like the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Church USA and the United Church of Christ and the Assemblies of God…along with the SBC. As the 2008 Trinity American Religious Identification Survey shows, the only significant growth on the American Christian scene is among those who identify themselves as non-denominational or unspecified Christians–generic evangelicals, really. Like it or not, SBC, the only way to resurge is to hide your brand under a bushel.
posted June 15, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Well I found out early in my life that Christian churches do not offer satisfactory answers to many serious life questions that are placed before them.
I received my rebirth into spiritual life through the grace of Lord Jesus Christ but beyond that I have little in common with modern day Christian groups.
CS
posted June 15, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Statistically, the SBC is basically holding its own. They did register a tiny drop in membership but a rise in the number of baptisms. In comparison, the declines in membership of the liberal denominations are a different order of magnitude – and they have a lot less to start with. One thing that is abundantly clear, if you want to kill your denomination make it “inclusive.”
posted June 15, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Enlightenment in God consciousness is the goal of human life and teaching this and facilitating people becoming God conscious is the real purpose of establishing a place of worship and not worrying about who has the biggest numbers.
Quality is what counts and not numbers.
CS
posted June 15, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Quality versus quantity…
I would have to agree. The statistics show that the number of Americans who call themselves Christian is declining. However, the number of conservative, evangelical born-again Christians is not declining. Thus, it is the Christianity-lite folks that are sleeping in rather than climbing into the pews on a Sunday morning. In this, we see why the liberal so called-Christian churches, such as the UCC and Episcopalians, that are declining so quickly.
posted June 16, 2010 at 10:03 am
Baptists can be baptized multiple times, so I don’t really see that as a metric of any merit. I mean, if you take a cradle Methodist, baptized as an infant and in church every Sunday of their life, and re-baptize them into the SBC, are you really fulfilling the Great Commission or are you just engaging in spiritual masturbation?
posted November 24, 2010 at 9:58 pm
I believe that the decline in the modern evangelical church is because we have been hypocritical Christians. We take the slippery slope of watering down our faith to appeal to a greater masses. We teach our children to not curse and love the Lord with all your heart, but we curse as we exit the parking lot on Sunday morning and beat our wives when they don’t fix our supper on time. What kind of example are we giving our children (who are the next generation of church attendees). We force feed religion onto our children without allowing the Holy Spirit to do a work within them; this causes them to rebel against God as a whole. A good place to start rebuilding the church is to not focus on numbers and focus on people (discipleship). Mentorship is the key to church attendance retention.
posted April 22, 2011 at 7:48 pm
I have noticed the great decline in churches also. I have concluded, over time, that satan has much influence utilizing every faucet to deceive.
There are such movements in motion like religious tolerence, homesexualaity running rampant as it is becoming increasingly more open and accepted, even in some churches.
People today do not trust churches because of the myriad of churches capitalizing through prosperity theology and other scandalous schemes. People oftentimes confuse by associating adhering to the biblical axioms or principles as hate. Man, are they wrong.
People have noticed the negating churches that all have their various interpretations. To be honest, without the holy spirit to teach us, we could never truelly know.
The high speed information highway has so much misleading information out there. People think that it has opened their eyes, but infact it has sealed them shut. What a shame.
People have now concluded that an institution is not important. They wishfully think that as long as they just believe in God or gods than God will save them. Let us not forget adultery which is hardly addressed as it dances around even in the pews.
People think that grace will cover all sins, but they are wrong there too. Grace is a pardon after repentance, which means to seek forgiveness and abandon that sin. Do we then make void the works through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law. Faith without works is dead. Jesus and Paul both reflected back to the ten commandments. Moral law is still in effect, but not ceremonial law. One thing that I have learned in my life is people do not like conviction. And oftentimes people feel as if a restricted lifestyle is wrong to have to live by, because after all, in their eyes, the world has moved on. They forget, God has not.
Anyway, people have lost their way. But remember-even if one is saved it will be worth it.