Hat Tip to Mod-Blog friend Nick for pointing out a very interesting commentary from the Christian Science Monitor about the Evangelical movement. The basic thesis is that "Evangelicalism" is dying and will see a collapse in terms of numbers, influence, and money in the next decade. This is blamed on an increasingly secular society and the failure of "evangelical" Christians to engage the larger culture.
WHY IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN?Now, I am what most would call an "Evangelical." I am a bible-believing, born-again Christian who attends a church that believes the same and I take part in the larger "Christian culture" of music, movies, etc. I am not sure if the article writer is correct so much as I wonder if he is irrelevant. While I may be an "Evangelical," I have no particular love for any "Evangelical" culture. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If that is preached by "Evangelicals" or "Orthodox" or "Charasmatic" or "House Church" people, I am satisfied. I will admittedly be uncomfortable with the worship styles of some others (I don't even raise my hands during singing). But "uncomfortable" doesn't bother me in looking at the future, so long as the Cross of Christ is preached.
1. Evangelicals have identified their movement with the culture war and with political conservatism. This will prove to be a very costly mistake. Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress. Public leaders will consider us bad for America, bad for education, bad for children, and bad for society...
2. We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it...
What do you think?
2 comments:
I do agree with the author that we have not put the teaching of doctrine in a place of high importance at our churches recently. We are too interested in being "Seeker sensitive" or "Non-Threatening" that we should be. People in our world are longing for people who have live changed lives and speak truth. That is what will draw them to the church and to God.
I believe that we were called to be the light of the world and salt of the earth and proclaiming the good news! "God is available to all"
We should be the best and truest friends and be the most accepting people that speak when motivated by love. Much of the church has become as the Pharisees and looked at society with judgment! Jesus walked among the poor & lost and accepted them instead of being above them! I hope the christian culture dies because then perhaps being a christian will be more about how loving I am instead of what music I listen too.
Just some ideas & thanks for listening!
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