This will be year 50 in the decline of American mainline Protestantism. The decline is a source of pain and anxiety among church leaders. Church doors are closing faster than they are opening. The decline has had many factors, but in general, was caused by churches’ doomed efforts to stay the same even as the surrounding world changed. That means year 50 brings good news: the ranks of those who remember 1957 — the high-water mark of mainline Protestantism, which ran out of gas around 1965 — are dwindling. Gone — or going — are those who remember when Sunday worship was enough, when being in church was comfortable and fun (mainly because we were children), when we had the world’s respect, and when belonging didn’t require much. Now fresh ideas and younger leaders can operate more freely, taking us beyond comforts of childhood. Read Tom Ehrichs article, Faith Trends I See in 2015, here: tinyurl/lxjvgzt
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 21:33:57 +0000
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