The sands are shifting. The times are changing. And like an ant on the edge of a sand trap, the American Church can sense something is happening. Ask any Evangelical -- inside the Church or out -- and you will hear a variety of explanations. Some point to inward failings, and others point at the encroaching tide of secularism. It could also be smug self-satisfaction, or the bold advance of marriage equality and the "homosexual agenda." But whatever the reason, change is afoot.



Although many recognize the changing times, few see anything as dramatic as a recession on the Church's horizon. But this is exactly what author and evangelical pastor John S. Dickerson expects. His book "The Great Evangelical Recession" paints a stark picture of what the American Church will face in the next 20 years. He offers corresponding solutions to the big trends that are targeting Christians in the 21st Century.



Evangelicals in America have long been a force to be reckoned with. Recently, various polls put their numbers at between 25 and 40% of the population. But this sense of health and vitality is misplaced. A Pew Research poll places Evangelicals at a mere 7 to 8.9% of the population. What makes this picture all the bleaker to Evangelicals is that the Church is losing a high percentage of its young people and failing to keep pace with the growth of the general population.





Another fascinating look into religious life and contemporary issues can be found in "Caught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind." In this book, researchers Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola relay stories of current and former clergy who are, or were, serving the faithful while personally witnessing the twilight of their own belief. Not only is the Church smaller than previously thought, but the clergy are increasingly aware of the general populace's disdain for the values they hold dear.

The gay rights movement in America has turned the tide in American thinking in an unbelievably short time frame. And the trend is toward a normalcy of same-sex marriage and the increasing inability to even entertain debate on the question. By virtue of this one issue alone, the Church will become even more hated and marginalized in the years to come. Faced with declining membership, the Church cannot afford to be so divided if it wishes to remain relevant to young Evangelicals. The polarized populace, split down the middle when it comes to politics, reflects the Evangelical church today as well. Politics, theology and cultural traditions are a few of the many causes which separate the Church in this vulnerable time.



H/T TheHumanist, PewForum, AlterNet, HoustonPress

For another look into religious life and contemporary issues, check out The Battle Over Religious Rights Intensifies As Fanatics Are Now Fighting Each Other HERE.



