By Jeff Brumley This story has been updated from an earlier one posted before Duke University announced its changed policy. Baptists, if no one else, should not have opposed Duke University’s decision this week to allow a Muslim student group to…
Dear church, here’s why people are really leaving you
By John Pavlovitz Being on the other side of the Exodus sucks, don’t it? I see the panic on your face, Church. I know the internal terror as you see the statistics and hear the stories and scan the exit…
Majority of Americans believe in Virgin Birth, poll shows
By Bob Allen Nearly three-fourths of U.S. adults (73 percent) expressed belief in the Virgin Birth in a Pew Research poll released Dec. 15 indicating that most Americans believe the Christmas stories in the Bible are historically true. Similar numbers…
Baptist chaplains eye growing openness to discussion of death
By Jeff Brumley Broaching the subject of death can be a serious downer in a society obsessed with beauty, health and long life. But there are signs that may be starting to change. “There are more people who are talking…
Mundane work, internal politics drive many from church, experts say
By Jeff Brumley A team of sociologists in Colorado say they were stunned recently by data showing a growing wave of once-dedicated church goers leaving their congregations. Their findings inspired the now-popular term “dones,” denoting Christians deciding to go it alone on…
You’ve met the ‘nones.’ Now meet the ‘dones.’
By Jeff Brumley It figures. Just as churches, seminaries and congregational consultants were wrapping their heads around the concept of “the nones” in religious life, yet another term emerges for yet another category of Americans abandoning the church: “the dones.”…
More Americans exploring, sharing faith online
By Jeff Brumley A Pew Research study released last week found that one out of every five Americans share their faith online on a weekly basis. It seems like a lot more than that to Chris Canary, a minister at…
The secret to congregational vitality revealed
The secret is really not a secret. It is well known by many congregational leaders. But, they do not accept it because they are looking for a magic act that brings quick vitality without deep commitment and persistent action. Too…
What our languages are telling us, part 2
By John Chandler Last column, I wrote about global trends in spoken languages. I’d like to follow up with observations from writer David Pegg about which of these languages are waxing and waning in global influence. Ranking by impact rather…