Cameron Trimble is the Executive Director of the Center for Progressive Renewal, which seeks to “renew Progressive Christianity by training new entrepreneurial leaders, supporting the birth of new liberal/progressive congregations, and by renewing and strengthening existing progressive churches.” In her article on church metrics in the Spring 2012 edition of New Times she proposes a new scorecard for churches that is designed to more accurately reflect the Read More …
mainline
Are You An In Between Christian? (#0800)
In a recent blog post, Rachel Held Evans included a bit of self-disclosure that warrants consideration by all who seek to lead the church into the future. After mentioning the recent article by Ross Douthat and response by Diana Butler Bass (something I have written about recently as well), she shares the disheartening reality that many with differing theological perspectives choose to attack the other's position rather than collaborate to craft a brighter future for Read More …
Can Christianity Be Saved? (#0793)
As I read Ross Douthat's latest New York Times editorial, "Can Liberal Christianity Be Saved?," I knew I had to respond. In short, he suggests that the end could well be near for progressive or liberal Christianity unless something changes rather significantly as a result of decades of decline. While not proposing that other forms of Christianity have all fared well, he suggests that they have by way of comparison to progressive denominations. (For more on Douthat's perspective, read my review Read More …
Worship Practices (in the USA) (#0687)
"FACTS on Worship: 2010," the latest Faith Communities Today (FACT) report, provides insight into the current worship practices in churches by means of an aggregated data set that includes responses from over 11,000 congregations affiliated with over 120 denominations. Worship is changing. The latest research shows increasing diversity in several areas, including: Time: Most services are held on Sunday morning (74%), but other weekend options are significant: Sunday Read More …
Top Challenges for the Mainline (#0667)
Carol Howard Merritt, a Presbyterian pastor and the author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (2007 – read my review here) and Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation (2010 – read my review here), chaired a national committee for the Presbyterian Church (USA). She shares the four significant challenges for the next generation as identified by the committee: Our denomination is over 90% white, while the overall population Read More …
More Decline in the Mainline: UCC in Florida (#0645)
I recently received the latest statistics about the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ. Between 2000 and 2010 membership declined 23.6% and giving through congregations to Our Church's Wider Mission (provides funding for the work of UCC Conference and National ministries) declined 42.7%. So What? The Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ is not unique. Mainline churches have been experiencing membership decline for decades. In Read More …
From Death to Life – Mainline Decline (#0634)
David Henson recently wrote a guest post on Bruce Reyes-Chow's site suggesting that the best approach to the deathly ill group of denominations known as mainline Protestantism is realistic hope. Henson does not propose a new way forward that will reverse the decades of decline. Instead he suggests that those aware of death's nearness are more likely to act boldly and that for Christians and the mainline there is life beyond death. He ends the article with these Read More …
Role Reversal (#0632)
Much has been written about the decline of mainline Protestantism in the United States. Between 1960 and 2000 the denominations grouped together as conservative Protestant grew dramatically (+158%) while those grouped together as liberal Protestant (also known as mainline) declined significantly (-49%). As a result, conservative Protestants are now the majority Protestant tradition. So What? In contrast to the significant changes within conservative and liberal Read More …
Just How Small Are Most Congregations? (#0627)
Recently the Presbyterian Church (USA) released information about the distribution of its congregations by size. The chart below provides the data in a manner that clearly displays the prevalence of small congregations. Put differently, 51.9% have 100 or fewer members 83.7% have 300 or fewer members 3.6% have 800 or more members So What? Since completing my education I have served exclusively in mainline congregations with well over 800 members, including a PC Read More …
Taking Advantage of Mainline Decline (#0617)
Emmy Award winning journalist Chris Yaw is an Episcopal priest who effectively blends his expertise in media and ministry with his passion for building healthier congregations in his new creation: ChurchNext. Recently he interviewed me on the topic of the continued decline of mainline Protestantism in America. You can view the video or download a mp3 here. So What? Yaw asked me the kind of questions congregational leaders should be discussing as they consider what it Read More …