Posted by
Playful Walrus on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 1:35:27 PM
Another day, another obituary for "evangelical Christianity" and our influence in politics. This time, Michael Spencer, who blogs at InternetMonk.com and describes himself as "a postevangelical reformation Christian in search of a Jesus-shaped spirituality", makes Yahoo News.
We are on the verge - within 10 years - of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity.
His Church will always exist. What it looks like may change. But the existence of His Church depends on Him, and although we may stumble and make all sorts of mistakes, He remains a rock.
This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.
Depends on what you mean by "mainline". From what I understand, Christ-centered, Bible teaching churches are growing.
Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants.
It is quite possible, if we fail to make disciples, including not having enough children to replace ourselves plus keep up with the pace of population growth.
In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.
Really? You mean Marx, Darwin, Huxley, Freud, Kinsey, Sanger, and the rest didn’t peak in the 20th century?
Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.
Again, quite possible.
Evangelicals have identified their movement with the culture war and with political conservatism.
Really, what were the alternatives? 1. Sit by as people a) worked to expel anything Christian from the public square, b) undermined parental authority and family, c) devalued human life at both ends, d) promoted destructive sexual behaviors including the sexualization of children, e) denigrated marriage, and f) promoted dependence on government instead of self, family, and church. 2. Actively work to empower the people who were doing these thing?
Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress.
Well this is a given, because "progressives" hate authentic Christianity.
The evangelical investment in moral, social, and political issues has depleted our resources and exposed our weaknesses.
If we just stick to running churches and their picnics, and leave participation in politics, academia, media, and the arts to others, we're not helping the situation. Are our resources depleted? We have less money, to be sure. But everyone does.
Being against [marriage neutering] and being rhetorically pro-life will not make up for the fact that massive majorities of Evangelicals can't articulate the Gospel with any coherence.
And it isn’t meant to. But I think Jesus would be okay if we paused in the middle of a sermon to save an innocent person from being murdered.
We fell for the trap of believing in a cause more than a faith.
Didn't Cal Thomas already write this book years ago?
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.
We could definitely do this better.
Denominations will shrink, even vanish, while fewer and fewer evangelical churches will survive and thrive.
Some denominations may not be worth saving. But again, evangelical churches seem to be doing well.
Despite some very successful developments in the past 25 years, Christian education has not produced a product that can withstand the rising tide of secularism. Evangelicalism has used its educational system primarily to staff its own needs and talk to itself.
So you are saying that Christian universities should have more students and should be sending more grads into secular arenas to be salt and light?
The money will dry up.
If will if we raise people to be ineffective at earning and managing their money.
Expect evangelicalism to look more like the pragmatic, therapeutic, church-growth oriented megachurches that have defined success.
There is nothing wrong with being a megachurch, per se, as long as the whole Bible is being taught, disciples are being made, and people are making connections. Church is not supposed to be, first and foremost, a social club.
Emphasis will shift from doctrine to relevance, motivation, and personal success – resulting in churches further compromised and weakened in their ability to pass on the faith.
A very real problem.
Aggressively evangelistic fundamentalist churches will begin to disappear.
Probably not. This prediction has been made over and over again for decades.
Evangelicalism needs a "rescue mission" from the world Christian community. It is time for missionaries to come to America from Asia and Africa.
I've said that before. We could stand to learn some things from thriving Christians who have grown in different cultures than ours.
Will it shake lose the prosperity Gospel from its parasitical place on the evangelical body of Christ?
I sure hope so.
But is there anyone who is observing evangelicalism in these times who does not sense that the future of our movement holds many dangers and much potential?
I agree. Has it ever been any different.
Something he neglected to mention that I think is a problem is that too much of the Church has adopted some the larger culture's disdain for men, boys, and masculinity and tendency to arrange things according to feminine sensitivities. There are some fellowships that are trying to address that. But if men are going to be driven away from churches, it is going to be more difficult for Christian women to find churchgoing men with whom to marry and perpetuate the Church by raising children in a strong Christian home.
Okay, here comes my tangent, comprised mainly of phrases stolen from others.
We do need more healthy, well-balanced churches. Churches are supposed to first and foremost make disciples, then equip those disciples to serve the needs of people. That we look good, have fun, and make friends and new business connections while doing that is great, but that shouldn't by the primary focus. Stop buying high and selling low. Transform the culture instead of letting the culture transform us. Contemporary-style worship music is fine, but the lyrics should not be about how we feel. Maybe we don't all feel that way. The lyrics should be about who God is and what He has done.
Disciples should demonstrate a Christian lifestyle, including in their charity and their work ethic and their spending/finances – as in, we should constantly proclaim the Gospel, sometimes using words. We should be able to explain the reason for the hope that is within us with gentleness and respect. We should be able to explain and defend the core teachings of Christianity. We should know the Bible. And while doing all of this, we should not cast pearls before swine.
Churches should stop eating their own. When someone sins, work to bring them to repentance and restoration. If they refuse, then send them on their way.
Churches should work to strengthen marriage without alienating the unmarried. I could write a book on this, and I'm sure plenty of others have. Don't encourage people to get married if they are not ready to be a spouse and if they have not found a compatible spouse. Counsel couples planning to marry about marriage (putting them in touch with older couples who have been married well and long is a good idea). Refuse to host and perform the ceremonies unless this couple is fit to be married and is willing to submit to accountability in their vows. If they either or both spouses breaks their vows without repentance, hold them accountable. Refuse to marry someone who is divorced unless reconciliation with the previous spouse is not possible. If they go off to another church that refuses to cooperate in enforcing this, let them go. If you are a good church, it is more their loss than yours.
We must reject unsound doctrines and practices, but have liberty in the nonessentials.
Engage the community, including the neighborhood physically surrounding the church. Who around there needs help? How about walking the neighborhood to prevent crime and remove blight? Expand the area as you master it until you bump into another church's territorty.
Keep the family together for at least the main church service. If people can't handle kids being in the room because they sometimes get noisy, have a second service for them, before or after the main service.
Finally, avoid the cheese. Yes, Christian media and entertainment can be good. But it can be done poorly or it can be done well. Cheesy stuff presented to the mainstream culture results in so much ridicule I doubt it does much good at all.