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The Associated Press posted an article today that presented the results of a survey of 35,000 people in regards to their faith and religious affiliations. I’ve seen reports that showed over 90% of Americans believe in God, yet this recent survey reports that about 78% of Americans are Christian, and of that group, only 51% are Protestant Christians. This figure is on the decline and very soon the number of Protestant American Christians will be in the minority here in the US.

It was reported that while the Protestant church is in decline nationally, the non-denominational church is seeing increase.

One statistic for the younger generations really doesn’t speak well for what is happening in the Protestant Christian church: 1 out of 4 people age 18-29 has no connection with a church (or temple or mosque or place of worship).

For the church at large, the article quotes:

More than one-quarter of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another religion or no religion at all, the survey found. Factoring in moves from one stream or denomination of Protestantism to another, the number rises to 44 percent.

The religious demographic benefiting the most from this religious churn is those who claim no religious affiliation. People moving into that category outnumber those moving out of it by a three-to-one margin.

On the Protestant side, changes in affiliation are swelling the ranks of nondenominational churches, while Baptist and Methodist traditions are showing net losses.

Although evangelical churches strive to win new Christian believers from the “unchurched,” the survey found most converts to evangelical churches were raised Protestant.

The share of the population that identifies as Catholic, however, has remained fairly stable in recent decades thanks to an influx of immigrant Catholics, mostly from Latin America. Nearly half of all Catholics under 30 are Hispanic, the survey found.

As surprising as they statistics may seem to those of us in the church, I am sure they are expected by those outside of the church. As the non-denominational churches grow and the denominational Baptist and Lutheran churches shrink, and the Catholic church is losing people that are being replaced by immigrant Latin Americans, it is clear to me that there aren’t really any new believers, just old believers changing their affiliations from Lutheran to non-denominational or however it works out for them. In total, the number of people considering themselves Christian is shrinking.

This should serve as a wake up call to those in ministry that the old ways are really connecting with younger generations of people. While we try to keep them sheltered from the world, once they become aware of the world through going to college or entering the workforce, they are falling away from the church and their faith.

Now, more than ever, the church needs to be relevant in the world and to stand boldly in the face of adversity. Young people have tons of options for what to do and what to believe, and if their faith isn’t practical then it may be an easy choice for them to just renounce it.

While I believe that it is entirely up to God as to how things work themselves out in regards to who believes and what happens to the state of the church, I do believe that God works through people and the church and it is our burden to find new ways to share the gospel of Christ to those that have eyes to see and ears to hear. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/02/25/religion.survey.ap/index.html?eref=rss_us

The Detroit Free Press published an AP news article about a study going on at Oxford University. Apparently, $4,000,000 has been designated to pool together a group of brainiacs to have a 3-year long conversation on whether we are born with an inherent nature to seek God.

Roger Trigg, acting director of the Ian Ramsey Center for Science an Religion (where the $4m grant is going to) stated, “One implication that comes from this is that religion is the default position, and atheism is perhaps more in need of explanation.” What an interesting position! Atheism may be in need of more explanation. I wonder how atheists around the world will view this? Of course, I doubt it will make much impact on atheism as this seems more like a discussion and a conclusion from a meeting of the minds, rather than anything definitive coming out as world changing, irrefutable proof that we are created by God to have a relationship with him.

Through it all, I am encouraged that a group that funds studies in spirituality, science, and religion would try to bring them all together through this $4 million grant. Again, nothing conclusive may come of it, but just the opportunity to possibly shed some light in a different direction on this argument is refreshing.

Here is a link to the Detroit Free Press Article: http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080219/NATION/802190409/1020/NATION

Here is a link to a more-detailed story from the UK Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3393198.ece

Bill Clinton was at a Democratic campaign rally for his wife Hillary here on the campus of UC Davis. I’m not choosing sides or endorsing any candidate (past or present), but Bill Clinton was definitely a candidate for change. From the first time I saw him play his saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show (only those as old as me will remember this show) I knew this guy was not like the rest.

I just read an article online from our local newspaper that wrote a story on the rally and they quoted some excerpts that I think really apply to ministry as a pastor wanting to see change (transformed lives) as a fruit of my ministry:

“The most important thing is this,” Clinton told the standing-room-only crowd. “In order to be president and succeed, you have to be able to turn your good intentions into positive changes in other people’s lives … I’ve never met someone better at making change than her.”

Wow, that was good! You have to be able to turn your good intentions into positive changes in other people’s lives. I have a new statement to help keep me accountable to my fellow man!

“Her plan covers everybody - no ifs, ands or buts. The main competing plans do not,” he said.

Again, this is good! What if I just changed one word and had the quote read, “God’s plan covers everybody - no ifs, ands or buts. The competing plans do not.” I want the world to know that God cares about them and is around them everywhere. No one should be excluded from God’s grace and plan of salvation. I want to help lead a community that embraces diversity and all social classes and shares the love God has for *everyone* as his plan does cover everybody, no ifs, ands or buts.

“You need to know what your president will do in failure,” Clinton said. “Unless you lock a president in a closet for four years, your president will not win every day. What matters in life is what you do with failure. You want people who are determined to succeed for you.”

When life turns things upside down many people begin pointing the finger and placing blame rather than trying to turn things around. Pastors face failure and rejection almost everyday. It comes with the calling because we are asked to preach/teach and encourage others in a hostile world filled with many, many temptations and struggles. We as pastors cannot win everyday. However, we as pastors must be determined to succeed for you as the calling from God is far greater than any rejection we may face from man. I want to be committed to succeed for you!

“The true test of a president is whether they can have the discipline, capacity for judgment and talent around them to handle the emergency and the agenda. I know she can do that,” he said.

Pastors should realize they are just part of a team of people that God will pool together to do his will within a community. It is not all about one man that rises to prominence through his good public speaking abilities or says the right things. As we are all gifted with different abilities and are just one part of a body, we must humbly realize that we cannot do it all alone. We must prayerfully choose the right team and ask God to knit each piece together into a fine cloth ready to handle any emergency or keep the vision alive that God has for his people in that community. I am in prayer right now for just such a team that will work together to be disciplined, use sound judgment and the talent around us to preach, teach, encourage, and activate a community of like-minded people that want to see lives being transformed in our community by the power of God’s grace and love.

“She’ll never forget that president is the world’s most important employee.”

This one just reminds me that we are not in charge even though we may call ourselves senior pastors or lead pastors. It is God that is in charge and Christ that is the head of the church. We are just servants to his calling and purpose and the instruments he uses and speaks through to make his presence known and set his plans into action. May I never forget that it is all about Jesus and not about me. As the Lord uses me to help make a difference in this world, may I never take it to bring glory to myself for what I have done, as I am nothing without my Lord who saved me from an eternal life of darkness by bringing me into a life filled to overflowing with light and never-ending love. My work is not to pacify people so that they will keep me in charge, my work is to fulfill my commitment to the calling I accepted from God to be an instrument in his kingdom to do the work he ordained for me to do. It’s all about him and not about me.

Former President Clinton’s words were for his wife as she has embarked on a journey to seek your votes to be the next leader of this country, but I feel that his words speak to me and remind me of my God and my commitment to leading people into change through the power of the Holy Spirit and it encourages me and helps keep me focused. Mr. Clinton, you do not know me and you will probably never even learn of who I am, but may you come to know that God used you to speak to a person like me that is in a time of great change and in need of encouragement.