For as long as I can remember, people in my religious tradition have been talking about decline. When I was a child, Mainline Protestantism was still a major force in American religious life. Today, many of its congregations have a much smaller membership comprised of people who are significantly older than the general population. Now, nearly everyone is wondering what the future holds. This is personal. I have spent my entire life inside this tradition. I grew up, was confirmed, and received Read More …
Trends
The Coming Wave of Church Closures in the United Church of Christ (#2330)
When discussing the numerical decline of a denomination, the conversation usually focuses on membership loss from its historic peak. While that is an important measure, it tells only part of the story. An equally important question is this: How large is the average congregation today, and how many churches have become so small that their long-term viability is in doubt? Membership Continues to Decline The average UCC congregation is now roughly half the size it was in 1970. Using Read More …
Halfway Through 2026: Worshiping with 7 Congregations in 3 States (#2329)
Mid-year is a good time to pause, reflect on the first half of the year, and refine plans for what lies ahead. A few years ago I began sharing a mid-year update on my experiences of worshiping in different congregations (see Where’s Greg Worshipping in 2024? 12 Congregations in 3 States). This year's edition is a bit simpler, but no less meaningful. In August 2025, I concluded my part-time ministry as Interim Senior Pastor of Advent Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas (see Giving Thanks: 14 Read More …
PC(USA) Membership Decline Slows, But Another Milestone Looms (#2327)
Having spent more of my life in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) than in any other denomination, I've paid close attention to its membership trends. The story of decline has been with the denomination since its creation in 1983. Decline Slows This week, the PC(USA) released its 2025 statistical report. Two numbers captured my attention: Wider Perspective In 2020, I examined the denomination's first 35 years and found that membership had fallen 56.8%, from 3,131,228 in 1983 to Read More …
Hopemobile Goes Electric (#2321)
A few years ago, I started giving my vehicles a name. Whatever I happen to be driving becomes The Hopemobile. The idea began as a playful nod to the Pope’s famous Popemobile. While I have no aspirations to that kind of religious leadership, I do have the privilege of serving as CEO of a faith-based nonprofit commonly known simply as Hope. Somewhere along the way, the nickname stuck. A year ago, I purchased my first electric vehicle (see Going Electric). Since it is the third vehicle I’ve Read More …
Will the ELCA Lose 75% of It’s Members? (#2309)
Mainline Protestant decline is no longer debated. It is measured, tracked, and widely acknowledged. As a lifelong member of this tradition and an ordained minister within it, I have spent years paying close attention to what is happening and asking why. Nearly two years ago, I gathered much of that work into a single place: My Religion is Dying: A Deep Dive into Mainline Decline. That post serves as a hub, linking to more than 50 additional posts that explore both broad Mainline trends and Read More …
25 Years of Decline: Importance of Religious Faith in America (#2305)
Barna’s recent analysis of it's own survey data from the past 25 years reveals notable shifts in Christian commitment among American adults. Across four key indicators, each measure declined over this period. The most pronounced decline, however, was in the percentage of adults who report that religious faith is very important in their lives. Importance of Faith From 2000 to 2025 the percentage of Christians who reported that faith was central to their lives dropped by 20 percentage Read More …
Hope in Action: How the East Dallas Community Provides Food to Neighbors in Need (#2301)
For 38 years, White Rock Center of Hope has provided food to the East Dallas community. Getting Started For the first 36 of those years, Hope served individuals and families facing food insecurity through a traditional food pantry model. Neighbors could receive food once each month. While the type and quantity of food varied over time, the contents of each order were selected by volunteers, with little or no input from the recipients themselves. Reimagining Hope's Food Pantry Over Read More …
Mainline Preaching on Social Issues (#2298)
Mainline protestant clergy often preach messages on contemporary social issues. Leah D. Schade, with Amanda Wilson Harper and Wayne Thompson have been studying this topic for the last eight years. Their work to date includes engaging 7,000 preachers through four survey waves. Top Social Issues in 2025 In their most recent survey (2025), nearly 6 in 10 respondents (59%) indicated that they include social issues in their preaching, teaching, or other ministry efforts at least 10 times a Read More …
When Worship Was Folded in Half (or in Thirds) (#2295)
Growing up, I remember always receiving a bulletin every time I entered the sanctuary for worship. The tradition of bulletin usage for all services continue when I was a seminarian and during the early years of my experience in parish ministry. In 2015, I stepped away from full-time parish ministry. As I began visiting churches, I started collecting their bulletins. Those shown below were mostly collected in late 2015 to just before the COVID-19 pandemic. To create the visual I first Read More …