Category Archives: Statistics

Culture News: Churches blame empty pews on fewer babies

Church Pews Not Full

From the Tennessean.com:

That’s what almost every major Christian denomination in the United States has in common — from Southern Baptists to Missouri Synod Lutherans.

In fact, 21 of the 25 largest groups in the United States reported a decline or flat line in membership last year, according to the 2009 edition of the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches. In most cases, the so-called birth dearth is the reason.

Carl Royster, a Church of Christ statistician, says that churches are seeing the aftereffects of the baby boom.

For example, in the mid-20th century, conservative groups like the Southern Baptists and Church of Christ saw their membership spike. “You had humongous growth in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s,” Royster said. “Now, the baby boomers are beginning to die off.”

Those boomers had fewer kids than their parents, leaving fewer descendants to replace them in the pews.

Royster said that he’s not panicking about the church decline. But he’s worried about the future.

“The sky is not falling yet,” he said. “But in a few years, it might be.”

Paul Prill, professor of communication at Lipscomb University and the part-time preacher at Acklen Avenue Church of Christ, says the congregation once averaged about 120 but fell to 50 when kids in the church grew up and moved away and older members became too frail to attend.

In recent years, young married couples settling in the area have begun returning, at a trickle’s pace, bringing the congregation back to about 80 members.

But it’s a slow process, Prill said.

“It’s hard to reach people who are in their 20s and are not going to church,” he said.

[HT: Ed Stetzer]

Islam: A Window of Opportunity

This link above will take you to a very good article from my seminary quarterly on the topic of Islam and the opportunity we have, at the present time, to engage the Muslim people in our own backyard with the Gospel. I hope that you will take the time to read it and pray about those Muslims that you know in your own area of influence. Do not take this time lightly or think that you are not qualified to share the Gospel with a Muslim. There are many free resource links (here and here) on my web site that will lead you do a better understanding of the Muslim world and what they’re all about, especially Muslims today.

It would also be nice to hear from anyone in the comments below if you have any experiences with Muslims and sharing the Gospel with them. Please leave your comments below.

Now is the time to engage the Muslim world in our backyard

In Christ and In Defense of the Faith,
Glenn Jones

Population decline and the end the non-Muslim world

Article: How to Take the Chill Out of Demographic Winter

Related to my previous post about Islam and a peaceful takeover, this article was passed along to me by my friend, Isaac Sumner. It details the global situation in which we are currently living in, along with the nature of Islam’s population expansion in various parts of Europe. Over the years I’ve read about many of these things, but I have not found an article, until now, that gives a comprehensive picture of what is taking place. I’m re-posting the article below in case the link above ever changes or gets taken away: Continue reading Population decline and the end the non-Muslim world