After sending Christmas letters back in the era when postal mail was just called mail, I shifted that annual correspondence online many years ago. In 2016 I condensed it to 100 words recognizing that most people simply skim the longer format of what often becomes a family newsletter. Every year since, I've written a 100 word year in review summary. And, I started sharing that content here on So What Faith last year. This year’s edition follows. 2024 in Review After starting a new job Read More …
Trends
Giving Thanks – Top 10 Experiences in 2024 (#2168)
Welcome to the month of giving thanks, a month that includes the Thanksgiving holiday. In recent years (2023, 2022 2021), I've taken time in early November to reflect on all of the life experiences I had since the prior November. Below you'll find my Top 10 Experiences from the past year along with links to any relevant blog posts here on So What Faith. I invite you to consider crafting your own list and sharing it with someone dear to you. Read More …
Turning Your Vehicle Into a Religious Billboard (#2162)
It happened to me again last week. I found myself behind a vehicle with a religious message I couldn't help but notice. For whatever reason, the driver chose to pull over not long after I'd determined to snap a picture of the message, which reads, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." You don't need to be a religion scholar to figure out that this is a quote from the New Testament. A quick Google search would show any curious Read More …
Chronicling and Shepherding Religious Decline: One Pastor’s Story (#2139)
In recent years Ryan Burge has increasingly become known as the guy who effectively communicates the story of religious decline in America through accessible articles filled with charts and graphs. He currently serves as Associate Professor at Eastern Illinois University and as the founder of Graphs about Religion, which is a website focused on religion and politics. Burge is also the author of four books, including one of So What Faith's Top Books of 2022: 20 Myths About Religion and Politics Read More …
My Religion is Dying: A Deep Dive into Mainline Decline (#2128)
Confession: I am a lifelong Mainline Protestant. While I've switched denominations many times - from Presbyterian (PCUSA) to Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to Lutheran (ELCA) to Presbyterian (PCUSA) to United Church of Christ to Presbyterian (PCUSA) to United Church of Christ - I've never left this religious tradition. Stating the Obvious For my entire lifetime, Mainline Protestant denominations have all been experiencing a numeric decline in membership. The narrative of decline Read More …
ELCA Membership Cut in Half (#2125)
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was formed in 1988 by the merger of three Lutheran denominations: American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America. And, almost every year since its creation, the denomination has experienced a decline in membership. This trend is consistent with what has happened in Mainline Protestantism at large (a grouping used by sociologists for seven theologically progressive denominations, Read More …
Visiting 75 Churches in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metro Area (#2119)
Many people visit a few churches. Some people visit many churches. I've been fortunate to visit an incredible number of congregations, including 75 in the Dallas - Fort Worth metropolitan area of Texas. As I reflect on these diverse experiences, I begin with context. The map below shows the locations of each congregation When I first moved back to Texas in 2015 after nearly a decade away, my family resided in the Northern portion of the metro area. And, during those years, I Read More …
Aging Presbyterians: 3 in 5 PCUSA Members Now Over Age 55 (#2118)
Nearly 3 in 5 members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) are now over age 55 (58.2%). By comparison, only 3 out of every 10 people living in the United States were 55 years of age or older in 2022 (30.3%). Put differently, the percentage of persons in this age cohort in the Presbyterian Church is nearly double (+92%) what is found in the American population. Growing Older According to data provided by the Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of the General Assembly, the percent of the Read More …
Demolition: One Less Church (#2111)
The numeric decline of American Christianity has been the most publicized religious story for my entire life. In recent years, more and more stories have focused on congregational closures. Just a few weeks ago, I featured Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition edited by Mark Elsdon as one of the top new books for the month of February. Demo Take a look at the image below. What do you see? What do you imagine is happening? Shoreline I took the Read More …
Are You Part of an Endangered Species? (#2109)
There are more articles exploring the shift in the American religious landscape over the last 50+ years than I care to attempt to count. For those seeking to lead well and hoping to shape what's yet to come, understanding these changes is essential. Added to Endangered Species List Earlier this month, sociologist Ryan Burge tweeted, "White liberal Christians are an endangered species." In support of that claim he provided the graphic below and the following data points: So Read More …