Have I told you the story of the funeral I officiated for a 93-year-old woman who had been a faithful member of a Baptist church all her life but had no relation to a church or a minister to lead…
Christians could be a distinct minority in America by 2070
If current trends continue, Christians will become a distinct minority in America and the “nones” will make up more than half the population by 2070. “Nones” are those people who when asked their religious affiliation reply, “none,” although most are…
‘Reverend, they ain’t ever coming back’: Confronting churchly realities 2022
Early on in the COVID crisis, I had a long conversation with a close pastor friend about changes in American church life occurring before our eyes. We talked about what I call “the changing sociology of Sunday,” a demographic-cultural reality…
Progressive Baptist congregation on Wake Forest campus votes to close
The first thing that’s essential to know about this story is that there are two churches in North Carolina named Wake Forest Baptist Church. That’s important not only for clarity but also for historical context. One of those churches announced…
Online religion content isn’t luring Millennials away from in-person church
Faith leaders needn’t worry too much that the growing availability of online religious content and activities will lure Millennials away from houses of worship, a recent study suggests. On the contrary, faith content and activities available virtually are in some…
I’d rather swim than worship
It was a haunting statement by a pastor. She was asked how her church had rebounded from the impact of COVID upon live worship attendance. Like most, she reported that only about 65% of the pre-COVID attenders had returned to…
The return to church has hit a plateau
The post-COVID return to church has plateaued, according to new nationwide data from Pew Research. After most houses of worship closed to in-person gatherings in mid-March 2020 due to the initial threat of coronavirus, there has been a slow return…
Lindsey Graham says he goes to church about three times a year but wants Supreme Court nominee to rate her faithfulness on a scale of 1 to 10
Once again, a United States senator asked a nominee for public office a question about personal religious practice, despite the clear prohibition of Article VI of the U.S. Constitution. This time the questioner was Sen. Lindsey Graham, R.-S.C., and the…
Has your church attendance declined again? It’s likely because Americans are worried once again about COVID
If in-person attendance at your church has declined in recent weeks, it’s probably a sign of Americans’ increasing concern about getting COVID-19. Gallup reports that its survey of American adults from Jan. 3 to Jan. 14 found increasing concern about…