The decline of nominal and sacral Christianity in America

[Bootstrap]

I heard Russell Moore interview Tim Keller in a podcast today. Tim made a bunch of predictions:

• Nominal Christianity will no longer be the majority religion of America
• Among Protestants, mainline Protestantism will fade, committed Evangelicals and Pentecostals will remain strong and may grow or remain stable or decline somewhat
• Catholicism will continue to be strong
• As white nominal Christianity fades, ethnic minorities will become the majority among American Christians
• Christianity will drop to about 25-35% of Americans, but it will be a more committed Christianity
• Islam will become a significant religious movement, coexisting peacefully with Christianity

He also insisted that he is no prophet and is just guessing. These all seem likely to me - do you agree or disagree? why? If all of this happens, what would that mean for you and your church?

[Ken]

There is still a big hunger for spirituality in this country. I expect as traditional denominations decline they will to some extent be replaced by nondenominational community churches and such. As Christianity becomes more something you actively choose to join rather than something you inherited from your parents and grandparents. I definitely see that in this part of the county. Many of the biggest and most active churches are nondenominational community churches and not those tied to any traditional denomination.

[Sudsy]

I heard Russell Moore interview Tim Keller in a podcast today. Tim made a bunch of predictions:

• Nominal Christianity will no longer be the majority religion of America
  Some see it on the rise but perhaps it will reach a point where it becomes so meaningless to be called 'Christian' it won't be an identification
• Among Protestants, mainline Protestantism will fade, committed Evangelicals and Pentecostals will remain strong and may grow or remain stable or decline somewhat
  If nominal Christians fade away, I would think many of these are mainliners who have no personal God relationship
• Catholicism will continue to be strong
  Likely true if immigration keeps rising from Central America
• As white nominal Christianity fades, ethnic minorities will become the majority among American Christians
  Probably so.
• Christianity will drop to about 25-35% of Americans, but it will be a more committed Christianity
  Also probably true
• Islam will become a significant religious movement, coexisting peacefully with Christianity
  Would not surprise me as I think Islam is attempting a quiet and friendly take over.

He also insisted that he is no prophet and is just guessing. These all seem likely to me - do you agree or disagree? why? If all of this happens, what would that mean for you and your church?

Just recently decided, after one year of no church attending due to Covid, will likely spend my senior years fellowshipping with Christians in other ways than an institutional church setting. So, no effect

[Valerie]

He doesn't have to be a prophet, the *Falling Away" precedes Christ's Second Advent. Covid may have helped it along, or used by satan, as is so much going on. The "Falling Away" is not just America, but the world is changing rapidly away from God it seems. He didnt mention Orthodox, but a lot of Protestants are converting to EO

[Robert]

There is still a big hunger for spirituality in this country. I expect as traditional denominations decline they will to some extent be replaced by nondenominational community churches and such. As Christianity becomes more something you actively choose to join rather than something you inherited from your parents and grandparents. I definitely see that in this part of the county. Many of the biggest and most active churches are nondenominational community churches and not those tied to any traditional denomination.

Nondenominational have little to no accountability. I do not see this as a good thing. It will continue to degrade Scripture and there will be no unity of faith, but little pockets of minor kingdoms with little coordinated work. Divided we fall.

[Josh]

Among Protestants, mainline Protestantism will fade, committed Evangelicals and Pentecostals will remain strong and may grow or remain stable or decline somewhat

He might be a bit late to the party. Groups like PC USA or The Episcopal Church have for quite a few years by now not done much other than operate their trust funds and trim the bushes in their cemeteries.

As white nominal Christianity fades, ethnic minorities will become the majority among American Christians

This is another odd conclusion. What does race have to do with anything? Nominal Christianity is something people of all races engage in; likewise, people of all races are not Christians, and likewise people of all races are also Christians.

Islam will become a significant religious movement, coexisting peacefully with Christianity

One wonders how "ethnic minorities" will be the majority of Christians if at the same time he thinks Islam will be a significant religious movement. (And why would it be a significant movement, unless there is a concerted movement to try to cause population churn of moving people from Muslim-majority countries to the U.S.?)

[Josh]

Nondenominational have little to no accountability. I do not see this as a good thing. It will continue to degrade Scripture and there will be no unity of faith, but little pockets of minor kingdoms with little coordinated work. Divided we fall.

My perspective of "nondenominational" churches is that they are in a giant free fall. Most people I know locally to me who are in one haven't attended church since March. Their model of giving and megachurch style services simply doesn't work since the government decided to either outlaw it, or put harsh social pressure on it to stop it.

In a large county in California, there are exactly two congregations that met continuously (one of them had a two week pause during "flatten the curve"). One was a 10 person church. The other about 200. Both are part of organised denominations. One of them, as a denomination, has decided to keep meeting no matter what the cost - this decision mostly came about due to the large number of new converts they picked up during California's severe lockdown. It seems foolish to shut down church when there are lost souls knocking on your church doors searching for salvation.

Interestingly, my own church has picked up an attender or two from a megachurch setting.

[Valerie]

Nondenominational have little to no accountability. I do not see this as a good thing. It will continue to degrade Scripture and there will be no unity of faith, but little pockets of minor kingdoms with little coordinated work. Divided we fall.

My perspective of "nondenominational" churches is that they are in a giant free fall. Most people I know locally to me who are in one haven't attended church since March. Their model of giving and megachurch style services simply doesn't work since the government decided to either outlaw it, or put harsh social pressure on it to stop it.

In a large county in California, there are exactly two congregations that met continuously (one of them had a two week pause during "flatten the curve"). One was a 10 person church. The other about 200. Both are part of organised denominations. One of them, as a denomination, has decided to keep meeting no matter what the cost - this decision mostly came about due to the large number of new converts they picked up during California's severe lockdown. It seems foolish to shut down church when there are lost souls knocking on your church doors searching for salvation.

Interestingly, my own church has picked up an attender or two from a megachurch setting.

Our non-denomination Church opened back up "inside" in September. Both Sunday services are heavily attended, & Sunday evening is doing well. Tonight's Good Friday service was full so was the overflow room (The Commons). Cannot tell if we list or gained, we had gained many when livestream, but Pastor Begg strongly urged them to find a local fellowship, as he of course believes un attending Church. Seems the non-denomination churches in our city are heavily attended again. We added another sister church in another county in NE Oh. I find it encouraging. As far as ethnicity, we have representation from many ethnicities & countries, also encouraging. Several newly baptized last Sunday!

[Sudsy]

Seems to me the early churches did quite well to spread the Gospel before denominationalism began. Jesus prayed for unity, but denominations institutionalize division, even if it’s a friendly one, and we see the early signs began creeping into the Corinthian church where Paul tries to put it down. And then there are even further splits, most noticeable in Anabaptists, where we just can't accept each other's views of mostly secondary ways to practise Christianity.

God continued to work regardless of man's dividing as He built His church but I don't believe denominationalism was God's original hope for how man would follow Christ. Myself, I look forward to that day when denominationalism is gone and we are one as God intended. I think many have put their faith into belonging to some denomination and not in Christ alone.

[Bootstrap]

Just recently decided, after one year of no church attending due to Covid, will likely spend my senior years fellowshipping with Christians in other ways than an institutional church setting. So, no effect

I'm curious - how do you plan to build fellowship in your life? What led to this decision? What plans are you making?