Since the election, I have read more strongly worded articles and heard more passionately preached sermons than in any other two week period I can recall. Luke A. Powery, dean of Duke Chapel and an associate professor of the practice of homiletics at Duke Divinity School, preached a sermon that is now available online in written form that falls into both categories yet also moves beyond them. Powery's "There's Work to Do; or, An Open Letter to My Children" is a call to action Read More …
Dwindling Membership: The United Church of Christ from 1965-2015 (#1654)
While I consider myself a post-denominational follower of the Way of Jesus, I have spent the most of the last six years involved in the life of congregations affiliated with the United Church of Christ. This Mainline Protestant denomination has experienced a significant decline in membership over the last 50 years from over 2 million members in 1965 to under 1 million members in 2015. The graph at right shows the denomination's total membership by year in blue and the percent Read More …
In Politics and Beyond, #LoveUltimatelyWins (#1653)
Love wins. "Love wins" is not just for hashtags or bumper-stickers. It is more than a statement; it is a way of being - a way intended for everyone all the time. It is a part of what it means for the kin-dom of God to be real for all people on the earth. Today many of my dearest friends are disappointed by the result of the U.S. Presidential election. I stand with them in naming Trump's vocabulary for what it has consistently been: opposed to the message of love wins. Bishop Read More …
Clergy = Not Trusted? (#1652)
According to a recent Pew Research Center Report clergy and other religious leaders are not as trusted to act in the best interest of the public as are many other groups. More specifically, the percentage of American adults who say they have either "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of confidence that a group will act in the interest of the public follows: Medical Scientists - 84% Military - 79% Scientists - 76% K-12 Principals and Superintendents - 66% Religious Leaders - Read More …
Christian Worship + Nationalism = ? (#1651)
Over the last year I have worshipped in 34 different congregations primarily in congregations affiliated with Mainline Protestant denominations (with most of these in United Methodist, Presbyterian - PCUSA, Disciples of Christ, United Church of Christ, and Episcopal churches). From my pew or chair in most of the sanctuaries or other sacred spaces where the services were held I could see two flags: an American flag and a Christian flag. Only once, however, did the American flag Read More …
Church Giving – The 55/45 Rule (#1650)
Leadership Network recently published an insightful article by Chris Willard and Warren Bird focused on giving metrics in the context of congregational ministry. This piece mentions something I think should be called the 55/45 rule. This rule comes from research conducted by David Thoroughman, CEO of the donor analytics firm MortarStone. Thoroughman found that, on average, 99% of a congregation's funding comes from giving units that give $200 or more a year but only Read More …
Where’s Greg Worshipping? (#1649)
Over the last twelve and a half months, I have attended 45 worship services in 34 different congregations. Denominations The chart at right illustrates the number of churches I have visited by denominational affiliation (green), the number of services I have attended in congregations affiliated with each denomination (blue), and the percent of all worship services I have attended by denomination (yellow). 75% of all of my worship experiences have occurred in congregations affiliated with four Read More …
Religiously Unaffiliated: 25 Years of Growth (#1648)
From 1971 to 1991, the religiously unaffiliated ranged between 5% and 8% of the adult population in America. While data from the General Social Survey shows that the percentage was higher in some years than others, it featured growth and decline in irregular and unpredictable ways within that narrow range. Twenty-five years ago (1991) I had no idea what it meant to be religiously unaffiliated. Terms like "nones" or "religiously unaffiliated" were not in my vocabulary. While my Read More …
Shaping the Future of Christianity (#1647)
Dying Some say Christianity is dying. I won't argue with them. If Christianity is defined narrowly and if it should be replicated in every time and place in identical ways then we can rest assured Christianity is dying and will soon be dead. Living Christianity, inasmuch as I understand what the Way of Jesus is about, is living. The only way any person or group of people can authentically live as followers of Jesus is to do so within their time and Read More …
Day of Discovery (#1646)
In recent years Westchester Congregational Church (founded in 1728) has faced many of the same challenges as other small town churches in the USA. These shifts led to declines in membership and participation. Background Less than two decades after reaching a point when some felt that WCC was close to closing its doors and ending its ministry, the congregation called Ron Thompson to serve as its full-time pastor. One year later, the church is Read More …