Articles for Topic: Church Growth/Decline

6 ways mainline churches should respond to decline

By Ben Irwin Empty-pews Christianity is dying! No it’s not. Yes it is. It’s just a flesh wound! Anyway, it’s mostly liberal mainline churches that are doomed. Evangelicals are in trouble too. All right… we’ll call it a draw. That basically sums up debate over the Pew...

5 Ways Churches Inflicted Pain on Themselves

By Tom Ehrich Let’s be clear: The much-heralded “decline of Christianity in America” isn’t about God losing faith in humankind. It isn’t about losing our moral compass thanks to whatever you happen to loathe. It isn’t about fickle millennials. It isn’t about zigging...

Economist: Church in crisis but hope remains

By Heather Hahn The United Methodist Church has only 15 years to reverse its decline in the United States if it is to have a sustainable future, an economist warned church leaders. At the same gathering, the church leaders discussed possible missional goals to address...

The Future of Religion

By Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi Pew Research Center recently released a report on the future of world religion. Using population growth projections, researchers have predicted which traditions will increase in membership and which traditions will decline in the next 35...