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Tuesday, September 03, 2024

Tuesday's Catch: "The Implications of the Rise of Non-Denominational Churches' And More


Ryan Burge and others offer fascinating research about the growth of non-denominational churches, especially compared to denominational churches. Sam and special guest Matt McCraw look at five of the implications of this movement.

Why Location Matters for the Fastest-Growing Churches
The fastest-growing churches are often located in prime areas for growth. In a recent Church Answers Research article, Ryan Burge took a deep dive into how churches located in growing communities generally find it easier to add new members. Thom and Sam discuss the implications of these findings.

Episcopal diocese of Georgia to sell headquarters, relocate to closed church: Move will 'advance the Gospel'
The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia plans to sell its office and move personnel into a shuttered church building due to a myriad of issues, including the expenses involved in maintaining its headquarters.
This article provides more information about this development.
African Methodist Episcopal Church reaffirms ban on same-sex marriage
The African Methodist Episcopal Church has rejected a proposal to strike down its ban on same-sex marriage. At the AME Church's 52nd Quadrennial Session of the General Conference, held Aug. 21-28 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, the historically black denomination voted down an amendment to its rules.

Andrew Wommack’s version of Christian nationalism is spreading across the country
September is a big month for Andrew Wommack, the controversial health and wealth preacher who celebrates the 30th anniversary of his Charis Bible College on Sept. 6 and hosts his annual gathering of his Christian nationalist political arm, the Truth and Liberty Coalition, Sept. 12-14. But you don’t need to be a Wommack disciple to be impacted by his activism or his teaching, both of which have spread across the country.

Faithful Politics examines 10 ways Christians do politics
Theology professor Miranda Zapor Cruz was raised to believe one American political party could save the country and the other was evil. Her new book is created to give readers a better education on Christian civics than the one she received. In Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters, Cruz, professor of historical theology at Indiana Wesleyan University, seeks to do for politics what Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture did for culture by showing how different branches of the Christian tree have embraced differing approaches to engaging with government over the past 20 centuries.

Americans’ Theological Beliefs Changed to Suit Post-Pandemic Practice
With many theological beliefs remaining stable, shifting beliefs point to where changing culture may be impacting religious perspectives.

Americans Grow More Liberal on Moral Issues, More Concerned About National Moral Values
As Americans are growing increasingly progressive in areas of morality, they also think the country’s moral values are worsening.

The Loss of Intellectual Curiosity—and Why It’s Dividing the Church
...what would happen if the evangelical church expressed more intellectual curiosity with one another? I think we would discover four things....

5 Signs the Enemy (Not God) Is Winning In Your Life and Leadership
The greatest mistake you can make with evil is to overestimate or underestimate its influence.

Loving the Bible, Part 1: Learning to Love Scripture
...loving Scripture isn’t something that just happens, and it doesn’t always come easily. We have a Bible-reading problem in American Christianity. Too many mainline churches, preachers, and teachers ignore the Bible at best, or treat it as something awkward, embarrassing, or as a “text of terror.” Other Christian traditions are adamant about the importance of the Bible, but too often demonstrate this devotion by using it as a cudgel to beat those who do not conform to an agreed-upon doctrine.

Balancing Proclamation and Action in the Lausanne Movement: The Ongoing Debate in Mission
When evangelicals from around the world gather for the fourth global Lausanne Congress (L4) in Seoul, Korea, we will once again grapple with an ever-present tension of evangelical mission. Evangelicals, like Christians for 2,000 years, will work through the relationship of the proclamation of the gospel in evangelism and the demonstration of the gospel through acts of mercy and justice.

The Gospel Still Can’t Be Stopped
Despite resistance and persecution, the gospel spread throughout the known world in the span of one generation.

Image Credit: Purpose Church, Murray. Kentucky

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