Unlike most Americans, evangelical Christians do not believe that law enforcement treats minorities unfairly, new research by The Barna Group has found. “Overall, only 29 percent of evangelicals believe police unfairly target people of color,” the Christian research organization said…
As Millennials leave the church, some youth ministers ponder ‘scary stats’
Nearly six in 10 Millennials who grow up in churches leave to join the growing ranks of Americans with no religious affiliation, new research shows. That spells confusing and scary times not only for congregations worried about their futures, but…
Not all evangelicals afraid of dialogue, Muslims and Christians say
A new study illustrates in numbers what many already know intuitively: evangelicals aren’t big on dialoguing with anyone but themselves. “Evangelicals seem to have a particularly difficult time talking to those outside their group,” the Barna Group reported in a March…
Embrace ‘extremist’ Christianity to counter hate, ministers say
Joe Phelps admits he is a Christian extremist. For years, he’s being spreading his brand of faith all over Louisville, Ky., where he’s the pastor of Highlands Baptist Church. And now he admits he’d like to see it catch on…
Study: fewer young people see marriage, procreation prerequisites for sex
By Jeff Brumley Church isn’t the only institution Millennials are avoiding or abandoning in droves, new research by The Barna Group has found. The institution of marriage is increasingly shunned by younger Americans who in turn view sexuality as unconnected…
Barna: American reading habits shape churches, spiritual development
By Jeff Brumley Publishers and marketers are certainly aware that Americans, thanks to smart phones and tablets, are reading fewer and fewer paper books these days. But pastors and other church leaders need to track those trends as well, the…
Rise of post-Christians scares some, energizes others
By Jeff Brumley The Barna Group’s recent report of a sharp increase in the nation’s post-Christian population this year came as no surprise to Joy Yee, senior pastor at Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church in San Francisco. Nor was she shocked…
People moving around less; Baptist News Global asks what that means for today’s churches
“Doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore?” Carole King asked musically. Well, researchers at the Barna Group have the answer: More and more Americans are doing so. And Jeff Brumley of the Baptist News Global operation looks at whether people…
Survey results could push church beyond its walls into new ministries
By Jeff Brumley A new survey confirms a shift in American attitudes toward faith that should motivate churches to rethink how — and for whom — they do ministry, Baptist and other experts say. The Barna Group study found that most Americans…