Posted on 12/22/2008 7:16:10 PM PST by Alex Murphy
...The market is changing. Nearly all predominantly white Christian denominations (Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal) in America are seeing a slow but steady decline in membership, a decline that reflects changing U.S. demographics. "This is not about orthodoxy or unorthodoxy or failed methods," Baptist historian Bill Leonard, dean of the Wake Forest School of Divinity in North Carolina, told Peter Smith of the (Louisville) Courier-Journal. "This is about demographics and sociology."
Related thread:
Liberal Protestantism and Liberal Catholicism
"Who can be surprised, then, that the Protestant denominations that have been seriously infected with liberalism (the so-called "mainline churches") are rapidly declining in numbers, not just in relation to the national population generally but even in absolute numbers?"
Yet, independent Baptist churches are growing in leaps and bounds.
I was under the impression that conservative sects were growing (Evangelicals, Baptists, conservative Catholics, & Mormons), while the lefty churches were declining (Episcopalian, Church of Christ, etc).
bfl
Please explain.
Yup - they sure are. I attend 1 regularly and another once a week...
I wished I had this kind of preachin’ when I was growin’ up. My Mom says I was cheated - and she’s right. ;-)
I don’t know about other Southern Baptist Churches, but at ours we had more baptisms during 2008 that we had had in the last 5-6 years together! Basically we cut down the gimmicks, put a lot of effort in community outreach programs such as Vacation Bible School, and we prayed.
Sounds like they need a federal bail out.
What is there to explain?
Now ‘social justice’ is spread so far in modern Christianity that the majority think when Jesus said “Feed my sheep”, they think he was commanding soup lines and government welfare.
The article says Baptist church is declining. You say otherwise. I’d like to hear your rebuttal of the article, beyond a simple statement. I’m not being a smart alec, I’m honestly curious about this topic.
Other than everything you posted was in italics so were do I begin?
If this is hitting the Southern Baptists, I would think it would be affecting other denominations too.
Or is this just Newsweek harranging the Southern Baptists like they always do the Catholics?
Explain what?
How is the church growing? Do you have more than anecdotal evidence?
Operative words here. Independent Baptist churches are growing in number.
I wonder if the author has a better plan?
source? (or just BS ?)
What’s the difference between the two, and why do you think independent Baptist congregations are growing, while Southern Baptists (apparently, according to Newsweak) are declining?
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