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 …
Trends
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 …
Super Bowl & Souper Bowl Sunday (#2107)
I am writing and will publish this post Super Bowl Eve (which also happens to be Souper Bowl Eve). Interestingly after writing at least 8 blog posts related to this event in the first five years of So What Faith, I've not made mention of it for a decade. Super Bowl LVIII Tomorrow evening, more people will tune in to watch American football than on any other day of the year as the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs meet in Super Bowl LVIII. And, as in years gone by, there will Read More …
Best of the Best – 2023 (#2099)
This is the 75th and final post of the year on So What Faith. It joins 2,024 posted between 2009 and 2022. At the end of the calendar year for the last three years, I shared the most viewed posts of all time based on page views according to Google Analytics. Then, this year, on July 1, Google stopped processing new data and all customers lost access to the Universal Analytics interface and API. So, I'm unable to provide a similar update this year. Year in Review Instead, I've Read More …
Worshippers Are Aging Too Fast (#2097)
Have you ever looked around a sacred space during worship and observed that those gathered look quite a bit older than the general population? If so, your anecdotal observation is linked to a broader reality: The average American in worship is significantly older than the average American across the entire population. And, it is also correct to assert that while the both the worshipping folks and Americans in general are aging populations, the average age among the worshipping group has risen Read More …
2023 in Exactly 100 Words (#2095)
As a way of seeking to update the Christmas letters that for decades were slipped inside of Christmas cards and delivered by postal mail, I started writing 100 word "year in review" notes in 2016. Recognizing that one must be concise in the current social media era, I've limited contents to a few highlights. This year's edition follows. 2023 in Review In my third year at White Rock Center of Hope (Dallas) my title changed from Executive Director to Chief Executive Officer. I returned Read More …
5 Star Books Published in 2023 (#2094)
Welcome to the fifth annual edition of So What Faith’s 5 Star Books of the Year! This list is comprised of books rated 5 or 5+ on a scale of 1 to 5. To be eligible the book must have been published in 2023 and I must have read it during the year. This year, just 15.5% of all books rated received a rating of 5 or 5+ to earn this honor (in prior years the percentage has ranged from 15% to 17%). Past Years Be sure to check out prior lists Best of the Best Stay tuned! So Read More …
Ecclesial Innovator: Best Job Ever or Unfortunate Job Title? (#2091)
A month ago Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University posted a job that has received more attention than any I've encountered this year. The job title is novel. My own research yielded 0 exact matches to the job of Ecclesial Innovator and even lacked any near matches. Broader Lived Context In my attempts to process this possibility, I was reminded of a few other occasions when I was called upon to expand my thinking about ministry opportunities, including the times Read More …