Recently, the Pew Research Center released some data regarding the religious affiliations of Americans, a research project they have been conducting for several years now. In 2007, they had found that 78.4% of Americans self-identified as Christian. In 2014, that number had dropped to 70.6% – a striking decline in only seven years. This decline was across all demographic groups: men, women, ethnic groups, and education. Over that same period of time, those who had no self-identified religious affiliation (what the researchers have labeled the “nones”) grew from 16.1% to 22.8%. This group includes atheists, agnostics, and those who just say they don’t identify with any group at all. There is certainly much to be analyzed and thought about in regards to this latest survey research, and it certainly should cause us to stop and think about what it means for the Church.
Let me say that I’m not wringing my hands over this, and I don’t think you should either. We need to remember that the true Church will never fail. Jesus Himself said “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). When we fret over the decline in such numbers as what we see in the Pew research, we are actually demonstrating our lack of faith in the One who keeps the Church by His power! No church growth expert, no pastor, and no congregant can keep the church together. We persevere not by our own power, but by the power of Jesus in us (2 Tim. 1:12). Do not believe or give credence to all the Chicken Little reports that suggest Christianity is on its way out or that it is dying. It cannot die, because the faith belongs to Him who was and is and is to come!
I do think that there are two positives to take away from this. First, the faith is not diminishing or failing; it is actually becoming clearer. While this decline is occurring across all aspects of Christianity, the decrease in those self-identifying as evangelical was only 0.9%. Within the mainline Protestant denominations (that is to say, those who have largely discarded traditional and/or orthodox beliefs), the decline was almost four times greater (3.4%). Those churches that have traded the eternal truths of the faith for positions they believe are more erudite and acceptable to the world are finding the world is not interested in a faith watered down and powerless. Great opportunities exist now for those who will proclaim “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) rather than the faith altered to make it inoffensive. Second, the growth of the “nones” can actually be a boon for evangelistic outreach. In places where cultural Christianity reigns, the people are “vaccinated” against Jesus; that is, they know enough to think they are OK with God, when in reality they are not trusting in Jesus for their salvation. Witnessing to those in this state is incredibly difficult, but sharing the Gospel with those who have no preconceptions tends to produce greater fruit. In the end, don’t let these statistics depress you – let them remind you the harvest is plentiful. Pray the Lord of the harvest sends laborers (Matt. 9:37-38), and be ready to be one of those laborers. Just something to think about…
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