American Christianity

 Ministry In the Contemporary Landscape 

                                                                           By Donald Williams                                                                 

     Although recent research reveals that Christianity is on the decline in the American Landscape, there is hope in the midst of these disturbing trends. The modern Church can significantly increase it efficacy in returning to its Apostolic teachings and rich liturgical practices that have defined its essence and message for thousands of years.

     According to the latest research, Christianity is on a sharp decline in America. At the same time, individuals who self identify as unaffiliated with mainline Christian denominations is on the rise. According to the Pew research Center, between 2007 and 2014, the Christian population decreased from 78.4% to 70.6 %, an 8% drop in less than a decade. These numbers also reflect a significance change in white Christian America. The relative percentage of white Christians are decreasing as well, as America increasingly grows more cosmopolitan. According to experts, by 2050, America will no longer be a majority white nation. Moreover, by 2060 whites will see their numbers continue to decrease while Hispanic and Asian populations will nearly double. Only 47% christian in the US are white, as compared to earlier generations. Millennials are increasingly falling away from Christianity and embracing more liberal views regarding social trends like gay marriage.

     According to writer Rod Dreher, the contemporary Church in America is suffering from what he describes as moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD). Borrowing the term from Sociologist Christian Smith, Dreher describes MTD as a trend among teenagers which consist of a vapid approach to religion that asserts "God exist,and he wants us to be nice to each other, and be happy and successful." According to Dreher, these sentiments have contributed to the death of Christian culture in America. The church has been involved in an increasing culture war and has not fared well in the battle. Dresser argues that the Church has allowed our children to be "chatezized" by the culture and produced an ineffective religion that has failed to significantly impact and shape the culture. MTD has so significantly distorted the true understanding Christianity. Youth in American have been quite content in marching to the cultural drums of personal happiness and well being.

     In his article Can Liberal Christianity Be Saved? Ross Douthat explores the Episcopal Church's efforts to radically change in order to maintain its relevancy to a changing culture. In the last two decades the church has become more friendly to sexual liberation, flexible on matters of dogma, and ecumenical in its approach to other faith traditions. However, this radical departure from its more conservative positions of the past hasn't attracted a younger demographic to the Episcopal tradition. Instead, it seems to have exacerbated the slow death of a once dominant religious force in America. In the last decade alone, the Episcopal church as experienced a 23% decrease in church attendance.

HOW MIGHT CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN LEADERS PRACTICE MINISTRY IN THIS LANDSCAPE?

     In light of recent trends involving decreasing church attendance, the decease of white dominate and influence in American churches and the growing apathy among millennials regarding Christianity, how do we effectively reach this current generation with the good news of the gospel? This question is really a question of contextualization of the gospel in a modern world.

    The gospel of Christ is best contextualized in the personhood of Christ, which consist of introducing another person to Christ. The establishment of this "person to person" communion between Christ and other individuals in the holy Liturgy is quintessential to the Christian's global witness to the world.

     Contrary to the views of some individuals, an effective strategy in reaching the modern world for Christ does not consist in abandoning the apostolic teachings and rich liturgical practices that have always defined and distinguished the church from Pagan culture. This is beautifully illustrated in the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The sacred liturgy dating back to the early church, replete with songs of worship, words of confession and absolution, and affirming creeds of the Church Fathers, reaches its splendid crescendo in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The holy and sacred liturgy is what is likely to draw the unaffiliated to the ineffable beauty of the Christian faith, where they can experience holy communion with the risen Lord.

     Despite the sharp decline of American Christianity over the past couple of decades, there is hope in the midst of the cultural storm. The contemporary Church can significantly increase it efficacy in the returning to, not abandoning foundational Apostolic teachings and rich liturgical practices that have defined its essence and message for thousands of years.



THINKING THEOLOGICALLY, STAFFORD, VA  (571) 334-4925
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