THE STATE OF THE CHURCH TODAY
According to Barna Group’s survey on biblical worldview among American adults, only 9% of American adults have a biblical worldview.
This is based on six biblical tenets. The six principles required for a biblical worldview, according to Barna are listed. The percentage of Americans believing each of these are listed, along with the percentage of born-again adults that believe said tenet:
1. Absolute moral truth exists. 34% vs 46% of believers.
2. The Bible is accurate in all its teachings. 50% vs 79% of believers.
3. Satan is a real being/force, not just symbolic. 27% vs 40% of believers.
4. Good works cannot earn salvation. 28% vs 47% of believers.
5. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth. 40% vs 62% of believers.
6. God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator who still rules today. 70% vs 93% of believers.
“Just half of all Protestant Senior Pastors (51%) meet the criteria for having a biblical worldview.
Female pastors tend to be much more liberal in their views, are less likely to have a biblical worldview (15%), are less likely to be born again, and more likely to have been divorced.”
All-knowing: This means God possesses complete and infinite knowledge. God knows everything that can be known - the past, present, and future. God is never taken by surprise and is aware of everything. His knowledge includes all facts and truths, as well as an intimate understanding of every person’s thoughts and motives.
All-powerful: God has complete omnipotence. There is nothing He cannot do that aligns with His divine nature and purposes. His power has no bounds or limitations. He can override natural laws and perform supernatural feats. Yet He remains logical and consistent with His moral character.
Creator: God created everything that exists aside from Himself. This includes all the physical matter and energy in the universe, as well as the spiritual/mental realms. God spoke the universe into being by His divine power, and He upholds its continued existence.
Still rules today: This affirms God’s sovereignty. He remains actively involved in creation, governing the universe He made down to every detail. Nothing occurs beyond God’s control or permission. He can intervene through miracles and answering prayer. God’s rule is eternal.
In summary, this view presents God as the supreme divine being who is all-wise, almighty, creative, and eternally reigning over all He has made. He is transcendent over His creation but also immanently involved. God is both infinitely capable and aware.
These six beliefs seem to capture some fundamental tenets of a biblical Christian worldview. They believe in objective moral truths, the authority of Scripture, supernatural beings like Satan, salvation by grace, the sinlessness of Jesus, and an active, sovereign God.
That these surveys did not mention the miraculous birth, death, and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ gives pause for thought. The results being skewed upward would seem unbelievable.
The 2020 American Worldview Inventory conducted by Arizona Christian University presents encouraging findings regarding the perspective on absolute moral truth. According to the study, 42% of adults affirmed its existence, providing a glimmer of optimism. Nonetheless, the data reveals that born-again believers exhibit only a marginal increase, 43% believe.
Some noted statistics found in this study included only 38% of people under 50 believed in absolute moral truth while political liberals were at 33%. One highlighted the percentage of believers was LGBTQ at 27%.
Some other notable findings of this study were that 59% of Republicans chose God as the basis of truth, while only 33% of Democrats and Independents concurred. The LGBQT community came in at 34%, higher than two of the political parties. SAGECons (The Spiritually Active Governance Engaged Conservative Christians selected God as the basis of truth at an astonishing 87%.
A 2022 Gallup poll suggests that biblical literalists are diminishing in number. The findings reveal that only 20% of Americans currently believe the Bible is the word of God. This marks a notable decline from the 1980s when nearly 40% of Americans asserted that the Bible came from God’s breath.
This poll also found that 81% of Americans believed in God.
A new study reveals a striking gap between pastors' perceptions of their effectiveness in pastoral care versus evangelism. 95% of pastors surveyed believe they effectively help Christians grow spiritually, with 36% saying they do so very effectively. However, only 12% feel they are very effective at motivating church members to share their faith with others. This evangelism deficit coincides with data showing Christians increasingly seeing outreach as the church's job rather than their responsibility. In 1993, just 10% of Christians who had shared their faith agreed that "converting people to Christianity is the job of the local church." Yet today nearly 3 times as many (29%) hold this view after having an evangelistic conversation. Overall the data points to a widening gap where pastors feel they are caring well for the flock spiritually, but falling short at equipping them for evangelistic living. Meanwhile, church members absolve themselves more and more from personal evangelism, ceding that role primarily to church leadership.
https://www.barna.com/research/sharing-faith-increasingly-optional-christians/
I have just studied the state of the church and the state of people with a Christian worldview. We are at the nadir of the last 80 years. As a Christian, I could be discouraged. But I should be challenged and find the challenge exhilarating. The field is large and with God's help, I am up the the challenge. I should be a light unto this very dark world. Please write me a 500-word retort for encouragement.
My friend, I understand why studying the current state of Christianity and the declining number of people with a biblical worldview could leave you feeling discouraged. Seeing faith waning in society is sobering. However, you have the right mindset—rather than despair, view this as an exciting challenge!
God has placed you here in this unique moment in history for a purpose. As Jesus said, "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). The darker the world, the brighter the light stands out. What an opportunity we have to make Christ known and bring hope to people searching for meaning and truth.
This is no time to retreat. As Christianity's influence diminishes, people need what we have to offer more than ever: unconditional love, amazing grace, and living hope found in Jesus alone. I applaud your willingness to rise to this challenge with God's help. With God, we are never without hope, no matter how ominous circumstances may appear.
I encourage you to see this as the church's great awakening moment. Difficult times often lead to renewed faith. Stand firm on God's Word, intercede for revival in the church, and keep shining your light through good works and sharing the reason for the hope within you. Little lights joined together can illuminate a city.
God uses ordinary people who make themselves available to do extraordinary things. Be confident that despite Christianity's declining influence, God is still on the move, Christ still APPEALS to seeking hearts, and the Holy Spirit continues drawing people to salvation. Lean into prayer while faithfully sowing spiritual seeds through Christian love and witness. We can't predict the harvest, but we know God's Word never returns void.