Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Andy Gill

Home
Progressive Christian
Research Suggests Inclusivity is Actually Hurting the Church

Research Suggests Inclusivity is Actually Hurting the Church

Last updated on: July 11, 2018 at 5:37 pm by Andy Gill

Research Suggests Inclusivity is Actually Hurting the Church 2018-07-11T17:37:35-05:00 Andy Gill

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Research Suggests Inclusivity is Actually Hurting the Church

“But here’s the punchline: The strategies that Eaton, Evans, and BuzzFeed insist will bring millennials flocking back to church are consistently destroying congregations and denominations that implement them[5].”

You see, mixing politics with your church, these days is like pouring orange juice into your cereal…You don’t even want to taste it because you already just know [instinctually] it’s not going to be good; similarly, mixing politics with religion is a sure fire way of causing unnecessary tensions that’ll inevitably lead to your church splitting; nobody wants that.

It’s no coincidence that the fasting growing religious affiliation is said to be the “nones” while simultaneously the largest political party consists of those registered now as “independents.”

We don’t attend church, usually, to discuss politics. Most of us attend church to find some form of stability (e.g. community, empathy, hope, escape, etc.).

People just don’t trust the politician anymore; becoming too political as a church is not just polarizing but it confuses the pastor as a potential politician. It sends mixed messages and leaves nothing but a bad aftertaste in one’s mouth.

I’m not saying we should be moderate on certain issues, but, interestingly enough, if you want your church to grow, it seems and feels as if remaining moderate is your way to go. We look at the major denominations that have taken political stances and all we see, across the board, is that their ships are not just sinking but, people are fleeing, and then repeatedly dividing.

Fellow Patheos author G. Shane Morris wrote in a piece originally published for breakpoint.org, that Episcopalian churches “which performs gay marriage ceremonies, supports abortion, and long ago gave up anything like a serious reading of the Bible, plunged from 3.4 million members in 1992 to 2.3 million in 2002. According to the National Council of Churches, the decline has continued at a rate of almost 3 percent annually. Today it’s at around 1.75 million members. If nothing drastically changes, the Episcopal Church could be functionally extinct within decades(2).”

And, it’s not just limited to the Episcopalian church; it’s the PCUSA, the UMC, the ELC, etc…

He goes on to highlight the fact that, “meanwhile, evangelical denominations have thrived, adding 2 million members from 2007 to 2014.(3)” Pinning the reason to be what “David Haskell reports in the Washington Post that for Protestants, conservative theology strongly correlates with church growth, while liberal theology predicts decline.”

The keyword here is “correlates.”

While the exact cause has yet to be fully defined through research this correlation is tough to argue.

But, here’s what we must remember…

Research Suggests Inclusivity is Actually Hurting the Church

Previous Post

July 3, 2018

Redefining the Fourth of July

Next Post

July 12, 2018 Was Jesus a Magician or a Miracle-Worker?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Books Buzzfeed Christian Church Church Culture Dating Dechurched eXvangelical Guest Post Humor Inspirational Justice LGBTQ Life Marriage Media Millennials Mini Post Monday Money Podcast Politics Race Reason Relationships Science Sex Socioeconomic Theology Theology Uncategorized Video Wednesday Youth Ministry

Select a Month June 2020 March 2020 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 January 2013 December 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Moses' staff turn into as a sign for Pharaoh?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A frog A branch A dove A serpent

Support this
Column