Where Have All the Presbyterians Gone?

Wall Street Journal ^ | 4-Feb-2011 | Russell D Moore

[Cronos]

Are we witnessing the death of America's Christian denominations? Studies conducted by secular and Christian organizations indicate that we are. Fewer and fewer American Christians, especially Protestants, strongly identify with a particular religious communion—Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc. According to the Baylor Survey on Religion, nondenominational churches now represent the second largest group of Protestant churches in America, and they are also the fastest growing...

[Cronos]

No wonder Presbyterians now say quot;This goes to what the Reformers taught; that is the "enthusiasts" or what we call today Pentecostals, are really no different from the Roman Catholics

[right way right]

They were predestined to leave.

Sorry, Couldn't resist.

[rogue yam]

ping

[RebelTex]

The Presbyterian Church has split into several different branches, the largest of which is the PCUSA.

The PCUSA has strayed far from original Presbyterian doctrine, which is why many are leaving that branch.

Gay pastors, female pastors, gay marriage, abortion, and other non-adherance to scripture is more than many former members can tolerate.

I suspect that many major denominations also suffer from being too PC, and the results are quite evident throughout our society.

I pray daily that we, as a nation, turn back to God and repent of the evil ways which obsess too large a number of our citizens.

[rbmillerjr]

If we didn’t hear them leave, were they here in the first place?

[higgmeister]

Actually very funny! Why fight it?!

[balch3]

possibly so, but the Southern Baptists have become more conservative and are still experiencing decline, although not as much as some other denominations. So there must be something else going on.

[Cronos]

The main creeping problem is the insiduous creep of liberalism expressed in two ways: acceptance of homerseksuality as a “lifestyle” and the ease of killing-babies. I was just watching a 2000 movie - Bounce and I found it very sneaky the way they put a gay guy as “just normal” — and we’ve seen the same in “Friends”. Society as a whole is decaying to Gomorrah -levels.

[blackpacific]

It’s probably like Mendel’s pea experiment, you can force hybrids, but over time the original varieties dominate.

It is Catholicism against varying degrees of disbelief.

[Cronos]

there was an interesting article that pointed out that various ‘diversions’ run out of steam in about 500 years or less..

[fella]

So many con-artists and just general grifters have wormed their way into not just the pulpits but the highest levels of many organized religions that this was bound to happen. The blatant money grubbing and embracing of clearly non-christian activities has made many believers leave their chosen churches. And ounce burnt, twice shy, they are then very hesitant to join a different denomination for fear of being suckered again. The government has a lot to do with this also, with it's no political criticism from the pulpit in exchange for tax exemption carrot. The people still believe their just not buying the flim-flam anymore.

[llandres]

“They were predestined to leave.”

Hey hey hey! Not THAT one again. I’m a born and raised Presbyterian :-)

[Persevero]

Touche! :)

And I am predestined to comment that the conservative Presbyterian churches, the Bible believing ones, are increasing in memberships, steadily over the decades. PCA, OPC, RPCNA, CRC, etc., grow as the liberal mainlines decline.

[Persevero]

“It is Catholicism against varying degrees of disbelief.”

Ah, but you ignore the Bible believers, going back to the Apostolic church (Bereans) and the Waldensians.

[llandres]

There’s always been a disconnect between National Presbytery and the many, many smaller and rural churches like the one I grew up in (it’s over 150 years old). I can still remember when I was a kid in the 60’s, what a furor there was over Presbytery contributing to Angela Davis’ legal defense fund!

[Cronos]

funny! “They were predestined to leave!” :)

[kosta50]

[Where Have All the Presbyterians Gone?] funny! “They were predestined to leave!” :)

Ooops! :)

[Cronos]

Actually, the OPC is still showing a downward trend in adherents, Their own website http://opc.org/GA/73rd_GA_rpt_topical.html says":

In 2005 three congregations withdrew from the OPC to join the Presbyterian Church in America, one of which was a rather large congregation, resulting in a net loss of members for the OPC in 2005. The membership of the OPC has remained at about 28,000 for more than two years, which is a cause of concern.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

‘Ah, but you ignore the Bible believers, going back to the Apostolic church (Bereans) and the Waldensians.’

From Wiki:
‘Founded in Edinburgh in 1773, the Berean Church’

‘According to secular academia and the Waldensians themselves, the Waldensians started with Peter Waldo, who began to preach on the streets of Lyon in 1177.[7]’

I don’t think that 1773 or even 1177 were during the age of the apostles.

[narses]

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