An annual report released this week about church growth highlights two Pentecostal denominations as the only faith groups of traditional Christian orthodoxy that increased church membership.
The Assemblies of God (AG) of Springfield, Mo., and the Cleveland, Tenn.-based Church of God were the only two denominations of traditional Christian orthodoxy among the 25 largest churches in the U.S. to report membership increases, according to the 2009 edition of the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, an annual chronicle of religious institutions edited by the National Council of Churches (NCC) and published by Abingdon.
The AG listed nearly 2.9 million members while the Church of God reported 1 million.
The ecumenical NCC reported the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses as the only other church groups to show membership increases, even though most Pentecostals, and many mainline churches and orthodox Christians, would consider those two groups separate religions.
A slight membership decline among Catholic and Southern Baptist churches, according to the yearbook, raised eyebrows because both denominations have typically grown over the years. "Now they join virtually every mainline church in reporting a membership decline," stated an NCC release.
In the bigger picture, the yearbook reported the small less-than-one-percent drop in membership in each denomination was not "earth-shattering" because there are still more than 67 million Roman Catholics in the U.S. and 16 million Southern Baptists.
Churches listed in the NCC yearbook as experiencing the highest rate of membership loss are the United Church of Christ, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The Rev. Eileen W. Lindner, the yearbook's editor, said there are no clear-cut theological or sociological reasons for church growth or decline. "Many churches are feeling the impact of the lifestyles of younger generations of church-goers," Lindner said, "the Gen X'ers or Millenials in their 20s and 30s who attend and support local congregations but resist joining them."
Footnote: Last night I met with other ministers from our area and the report is the International Pentecostal Holiness Church is holding steady nationally. Our conference is up some. I hate to see good churches sliding. The last few years I have been trying to bring what I have to help our local Church (LCMS) not be a statistic. There is much work to be done. It's time to get back....To the Basics of Love.
4 comments:
Gene,
You've written quite a bit recently about the growth of charismatic churches aroung the globe. I'd just like to offer an observation from somebody outside of charismatic circles. Not saying it's right, just a curiosity.
If you take the three "offices" of Christ as set forth in traditional Christian theology, prophet, priest and king, two of these three have already been put into great effect by church movements in large portions of history. The Roman Catholic church has focused greatly on priesthood. It has acted, by and large, as the earthly "incarnation", if you will, of Christ's priesthood on earth.
The church of England, or Anglicanism, has focused greatly on kingship. The crown of England and all of its colonization (other monarchies, too, including Scandinavian) has acted, by and large, as the earthly "incarnation", if you will, of Christ's kingship on earth.
I don't agree with either. And now, I see pentacostalism as similar in its attempt to establish itself as the earthly "incarnation" of Christ's prophet status on earth. I'm not sure this will hold in the long term, either. It has valuable contributions to make, for sure, as I see it, but as an all encompasing theology, I kinda doubt it.
Does this all make sense?
I think you are out of my league Steve. I'm not sure I even understand what you said. I kind of get the Prophet Priest and King.
Luther talked a great deal about that as I recall.
I know that in the charismatic circles I walk in we try to follow the 1 Corinthians 14 model, Ephesians 5:19 and Hebrews 10:25.
We don't always succeed but it's a pattern we try to track.
I am not excited about my local LCMS Lutheran church struggling while the Charismatic church down the street is exploding in attendance. I wish it were more balanced.
The reality is that globally and even in our area, it's what is working. I get it. Sometimes things are not as I wish they were. But, I think the Pentecostal churches have much to impart to the declining churches if they would step back from their doctrines and understand what is going on.
I will say this, the Prophetic is what keeps me holding on. As good as intense worship is, as good as anointed preaching is, as good as fellowship is, what keeps me coming back is the word of encouragement I get and sometimes give in the prophetic. I know you read some of the stuff I post from other prophetic writers. It's what releases the passion you see. It's why it grows.
I didn't invent this. I am part of it. I wish the rest of the Church would embrace it. If it doesn't they will drift.
One other thing, I see many mainline evangelicals trying to use the word prophetic in teaching and preaching. It's not prophetic. It's just painful to watch.
I think the problem is the lack of Spiritual Dimension. This doesn't come by head knowledge. You can't train someone to do this. It comes as a supernatural grace.
Charismata.
That's why they call us Charismatics.
I would offer that if there were a GOOD Charismatic church in your area you should consider attending a few services, you will see what I mean. The problem is, like Baptist or Lutheran Churches, not everyone who calls themselves "Pentecostal" is. There is a wide spectrum.
There are a couple dozen churches who are defined as pentecostal in our area. Most are not ones I would consider full on. Many Assemblies of God are more mellow than I wish they were.
I will end by saying, I don't think the Pentecostal movement is going away any time soon. Or ever.
My guess is the rest of the Church will move slowly to embrace most or even all that the Pentecostal do as the end time unity of the global body of Christ is manifested.
I can't see it going the other way. It may take a generation or two, but it will happen in my opinion.
Good question.
What is the so-called 'prophetic element" in the church really saying? It has all already been said in the divine Word of God. Didn't the Holy Spirit warn about "adding to" and "taking away" from what has already been revealed? And the Word even warns about "taking away" from such a one his share in the tree of life.
I have written so much on the prophetic and so have others. I don't even want to rehash. There is so much to know and if you want to understand you are welcome to type the word prophetic in the search box at the top of this blog.
I would invite you to do the same on the prophetic side of my blogging life. It's linked on the side.
After you have read a great deal of that you will have all you need to answer any questions you have.
Last, I want to never ever prophetically say or utter anything that adds to or subtracts from the word of God.
On the other hand, Jesus constantly used scripture to prophesy to others. It is written he would say.
That's enough for me.
The Prophetic is the missing element in churches adrift. The sooner they find their voice the better off they will be.
Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
That's prophecy. I need it. So do you, and if you ever got it you would be desperate for more.
Hunger is what is missing in dying churches. Buffet Christianity doesn't work any more.
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