As America Becomes Less Christian, Pastors Must Proclaim Truth
According to a new study from the Pew Research Center, the number of Christians in America is dropping—a wake-up call to pastors and churches across the nation, says the American Pastors Network.
The study, released last week, found that the number of Americans who “identify with Christianity has dropped substantially in the last eight years, while those who don’t affiliate with any religion continue to grow in numbers.”
APN President Sam Rohrer says the findings are evidence of the greater impact pastors and churches must have on society.
“These statistics should alarm every Christian in America, yet they should serve to motivate every pastor and Christian to greater biblical obedience,” Rohrer said. “In the early Church, Christians ‘turned the world upside down’ because their faith in Jesus Christ had been put to the test and they experienced firsthand the transformative impacts of the Gospel and unconquerable power of the truth of God’s Word. Our nation is in desperate need of pastors and Christians with the early Church’s passion.”
Pew also reported that between 2007 and 2014, the number of Americans identifying as Christians fell from 78.4 percent (178.1 million people) to 70.6 percent (172.8 million people). And the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans rose from 16.1 percent to 22.8 percent in the same time frame—or about 60 million unaffiliated (including atheists, agnostics or those who claim “nothing in particular”) Americans in 2014.
The decline in Christianity is exhibited across nearly all demographics, as the Pew report added, “While the drop in Christian affiliation is particularly pronounced among young adults, it is occurring among Americans of all ages. The same trends are seen among whites, blacks and Latinos; among both college graduates and adults with only a high school education; and among women as well as men.”
“The decline in Christianity in America is a call not simply for Americans to return to church but for the church itself to return to God’s Word,” Rohrer continued. “We know from research that too many pastors are not preaching the whole counsel of God’s Word as it relates to societal issues, holy living and true discipleship. Therefore, many Americans are leaving the church because the church has left the authority of Scripture. It’s past time for pastors to take a stand for obedience to biblical truth if we are to see God’s blessing to return to our nation.”
According to research reported last August, many theologically conservative pastors believe the Bible speaks to societal issues, but fewer than 10 percent of these pastors are teaching people what the Bible says on these topics.
The program on discipleship came with perfect timing for me. Even my own discipleship has had big holes, and I have a theology degree!
Thank you for your radio blessing.
In His love, K
First I congratulate you pastors of America pastors Network for this vision it pleases God that why I was searching preachers from American then I found your website, my dear fellow pastors please add me in groups so that I may be able to do this Holy work of God with you servant of God, and also you are welcome to Tanzania there are many places for the work of God and doing the mission of God. But in I congratulate you again pastors be blessed.