Here you will find links to publications, summaries, reviews, and bibliographies on research, theory, theology, and practice related to the future of the Christianity and religion. It includes original articles from members of The FaithX Project as well as from other sources, including: The Association of Religious Data Archives (ARDA), Barna Research – The Barna Group, Faith Communities Today (FACT), Hartford Institute for Religious Research, and Insights into Religion.
White Christians are Less Motivated to Address Racial Injustice – 2020
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: As of July 2020, practicing Christians are no more likely to acknowledge racial injustice (43% “definitely”) than they were the previous summer. There is actually a significant increase in the percentage of practicing Christians who say race is “not at all” a problem in the U.S. (19%, up from 11% in 2019). Among self-identified Christians alone, a similar significant increase occurs (10% in 2019, 16% in 2020).
Among self-identified Christians, the unmotivated group has shifted from 19 percent in 2019 (10% unmotivated, 9% not at all motivated) to 30 percent (12% unmotivated, 18% not at all motivated) in 2020. For practicing Christians, those who were unmotivated in 2019 (9% unmotivated, 8% not at all motivated) have also increased to 30 percent (12% unmotivated, 18% not at all motivated) in 2020. In one year, that’s more than a 11 percentage point increase overall in Christians who are uninspired to address racial injustice, including a doubling of those who say they are “not at all motivated” in both the practicing and self-identified groups.
Which Terms are Objectionable and Preferable when Discussing Missions with Younger Generations – 2020
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: This article takes a look at data from The Future of Missions, highlighting the way different age groups talk about missions and why teens and young adults lean away from certain terminology when discussing global ministry.
The study found that young adults and teens prefer saying “sharing faith” over “evangelism,” and most Christians (regardless of age) disliked using the term “conversion.”
Imagined as us-American: Patriotic Music, Religion, and Violence Post-9/11 – 2020
Author (Source): Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry (SHERM), a biannual, not-for-profit, free peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes the latest social-scientific, historiographic, and ecclesiastic research on religious institutions and their ministerial practices. SHERM is dedicated to the critical and scholarly inquiry of historical and contemporary religious phenomena, both from within particular religious traditions and across cultural boundaries, so as to inform the broader socio-historical analysis of religion and its related fields of study.
Abstract: With the common correlation of the patriotic music community to “America,” country music after 9/11, in many respects, could be seen as a site for the reinforcement and construction of American national identity. This article particularly explores the use of country music in the United States to represent and create a political ideology of “imagined” national identity in the time period between September 11, 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in the Spring of 2003. However, the nation, as imagined in these country song lyrics, has very specific dimensions. It is not just any nation. It is perceived (and valued, for that matter) as justifiably aggressive. It is a Christian nation defined in opposition to the Islamic “other.” This targeted racial and religious group is not just an outside foreign “other” but a heavily stigmatized foreigner from within their own country. The mapping of these particular concepts of nation and religion onto mainstream country music constitutes its primary imagined identity.
Belonging: Reconnecting America’s Loneliest Generation – 2020
Author (Source): Springtide Research Institute, a sociological research group that explores the inner and outer lives of young people ages 13-25 by listening to the ways young people experience and express community, identity, and meaning both within and outside traditional religious institutions.
Abstract: The inaugural report from Springtide, Belonging: Reconnecting America’s Loneliest Generation, releases on March 30, 2020. Their sociological study reveals epidemic levels of isolation among young people and why participation, even within religious communities, does not equate to belonging for younger generations. Their #Belonging report explores the landscape of loneliness and how we can build belonging. Their national study has found that young people now more than ever want a place where they feel like they belong. Unfortunately, in a world with increasingly fewer institutional connections, young people are struggling to connect with each other and the adults who care about them.
Springtide combines quantitative and qualitative research to reflect and amplify the lived realities of young people as they navigate shifting social, cultural, and religious landscapes. Delivering fresh data and actionable insights, they equip those who care about young people to care better. They then apply that research to better understand how young people are making sense of their world, how they are seeking to identify in communities of connection, reconciling (or not) the unresolved discrepancies they experience, constructing identity, and pursuing and perceiving the sacred, spiritual, or divine impulses in their lives.
Do Americans Replace Traditional Church with Digital Faith Expressions? – 2020
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: As part of Barna’s latest study, the State of the Church 2020 project, they set out to learn how practicing Christians describe the presence of technology in their faith formation, from weekly sermons to weekday drives. Overall, they found that the influence of recent digital trends on churchgoers is undeniable, though perhaps not as extreme as you’d expect. Very few—just 2 percent of practicing Christians—say they attend a church that uses a video, livestream, or holographic sermon, with the large majority (97%) still sitting under the teaching of an in-person preacher. Though respondents in larger churches (200+ attendees) are more likely than those in smaller churches to report receiving virtual sermons, the group of attendees is still too small overall to be reported on with any statistically significant detail.
Likewise, 75% of practicing Christians report to be listening closely to a speaker, and physical Bibles are still a fairly common accessory (36%), as opposed to, or perhaps alongside, digital Bibles (15%). One in four practicing Christians (25%) is further invested in gleaning from a sermon by taking notes. Even so, 17 percent admit to getting distracted, a percentage which might overlap with those who say they fact check a pastor’s message (10%) or browse texts, emails or social media on their phone (7%).
Only 22% of Practicing Christians Feel Responsible to Help Those Facing Discrimination – 2020
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: For a recent study on race and equality in America, conducted in partnership with The Reimagine Group, Barna set out to contribute to a broader understanding of race relations in our present moment and equip church leaders with context for challenging conversations. This report, titled Where Do We Go from Here?, assesses perceptions of the nation’s reputation and what practicing Christians—across racial, denominational and political fault lines—feel should be done to repair the damage.
When it comes to providing help in person, however, black practicing Christians are somewhat more likely than their white counterparts to see Christian organizations as most responsible for this kind of institutional support (21% vs. 15% of white practicing Christians). White respondents assume more personal responsibility to help others who are on the receiving end of discrimination (25% vs. 17% of black practicing Christians).
What Younger Generations Mean When They Say They’re “Christian” – 2019
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: Most Americans say they are Christians, but few follow that up with deep, heart-level, life-directing commitments. This is true of all generations, and it remains true of young adults in the U.S., two-thirds of whom identify as Christian. 
Nomads, habitual churchgoers and resilient disciples identify as Christian (100% each). Prodigals, on the other hand, usually consider themselves to be religiously unaffiliated. Additionally, the vast majority of resilient disciples and habitual churchgoers use phrases like “a Christian” or “a follower of Jesus” when describing their faith to other peoples. More than half of nomads, and even some prodigals also appear comfortable using these self-descriptions.
The Connected Generation (18–35-Year-Olds): Christians & Nones Disagree on the Church’s Impact on Social Justice – 2019
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: Overall, a slight majority of 18–35-year-old respondents feels the Church is definitely (16%) or probably (42%) making a difference on issues of poverty and justice. Christians and those who identify with no faith, however, differ considerably on how successful the work of the Church has been. Nearly three-quarters of Christians in this age group think the Church is making a difference to some extent (73%), compared to only one-third of those who claim no faith (32%). This difference in opinion could be taken as a direct reflection of the Church’s actions (or inaction) or evidence of varying interpretations or benchmarks of what it means to work for justice. Either way, this perceived absence of impact could pose barriers to belief and should be taken seriously by church leaders; more than one-quarter of 18–35-year-olds points to human suffering (28%) or conflict around the world (26%) as reasons they might doubts things of a spiritual nature.
In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace, Religious ‘Nones’ Continue to Grow – 2019
Author (Source): Pew Research Center: Religion and Public Life, a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. The Pew Research Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research.
Abstract: In Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated share of the population, consisting of people who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular,” now stands at 26%, up from 17% in 2009.
Only One-Third of Young Adults Feels Cared for by Others – 2019
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: An early and obvious theme to emerge from The Connected Generation—a Barna-World Vision partnership that surveyed 15,000 18–35-year-olds from 25 countries around the globe—is broad agreement with two statements: “Events around the world matter to me” (77% all) and “I feel connected to people around the world” (57%). The experience of connection in one’s daily life, however, isn’t a guarantee. In fact, the vast majority of young adults feels the impact of broad, global trends more than they feel loved and supported by others close to them.
National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices Shows Both Growth and Decline – 2019
Author (Source): Faith Communities Today, a multifaith research coalition conducting surveys and practical reports on congregations and congregational life in the U.S.
Abstract: Even while fewer Americans claim a religious affiliation (Pew 2015) or membership in a congregation (Gallup 2019), NSCEP found that more congregations are growing than are declining in their number of participating adults and the amount of money they received. Thirty-nine percent of congregations reported a greater number of regularly participating adults in 2017 than three years earlier, and 48% reported receiving more money.
Read the executive summary or full report at www.nscep.org.
New Study Finds Majority of Christians Do Not Have Meaningful Contact with Atheists, Muslims, or LGBTQ+ Community – 2019
Author (Source): Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry (SHERM), a biannual, not-for-profit, free peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes the latest social-scientific, historiographic, and ecclesiastic research on religious institutions and their ministerial practices. SHERM is dedicated to the critical and scholarly inquiry of historical and contemporary religious phenomena, both from within particular religious traditions and across cultural boundaries, so as to inform the broader socio-historical analysis of religion and its related fields of study.
Abstract: In a recently published sociological article entitled, “Religious Involvement and Bridging Social Ties,” Dr. Stephen Merino sought to investigate whether religious involvement in church ministry, beyond the typical Sunday worship service, was a meaningful predictor for creating “social capital” (i.e. social resources, relationships, shared values and norms, and a sense of trust and reciprocity) between church-going Christians and marginalized groups in society. He also explored whether this involvement resulted in Christians having a connection to different people groups, such as members of the LGBTQ+ community, people on welfare, people of color, Muslims, and atheists.
Church Dropouts Increase to 64% – 2019
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: The percentage of young-adult dropouts has increased from 59 to 64 percent. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. 18–29-year-olds who grew up in church tell Barna they have withdrawn from church involvement as an adult after having been active as a child or teen.
U.S. Adults Believe Hate Speech Has Increased—Mainly Online – 2019
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: Reported incidents of hate speech and hate crimes in the United States have risen dramatically in recent years, according to multiple sources. The FBI recorded over 7,000 hate crime incidents in 2017, while the Anti-Defamation League says anti-Semitism reached “near-historic levels” in 2018. These events, whether violent or verbal, in person or online, have also prompted debate about the responsibility of technology platforms, particularly their role in curbing online harassment amid the rise of various hate groups.
A large majority of American adults says the amount of hate crime and hate speech (meaning, speech or crimes that are motivated by racial, sexual or other prejudice) has changed in the past five years; seven in 10 (70%) say this behavior has increased. Just under one-quarter (22%) believes the occurrence of hate crime has stayed about the same compared to previous years. Only 3 percent say it has decreased.
Trump has Changed White Evangelicals’ Views on Private Morality – 2019
Author (Source): Washington Post, a major American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., with a particular emphasis on national politics and the federal government. It has the largest circulation in the Washington metropolitan area.
Abstract: White evangelicals are now slightly less likely to say that privately immoral behavior means a public official will be unethical in public life, with only 16.5 percent saying yes. White evangelicals had a substantially different reaction when asked about Trump or Clinton. When primed to think about Trump, only 6 percent of them say that an elected official who acts immorally in private is incapable of being ethical in public life. But when Bill Clinton is mentioned, that rises to 27 percent — a 21-point increase. In short, white evangelicals are far more likely to shift their view of a politician’s private behavior when asked about Trump than when asked about Clinton.
The Most Post-Christian Cities in America – June 2019
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: To qualify as “post-Christian,” individuals must meet nine or more of our 16 criteria, which identify a lack of Christian identity, belief and practice. These factors include whether individuals identify as atheist, have never made a commitment to Jesus, have not attended church in the last year or have not read the Bible in the last week. These indicators give a much more accurate picture of belief and unbelief in America.
The most post-Christian cities in America are Springfield-Holyoke, MA (66%), Portland-Auburn, ME (60%), Providence, RI-New Bedford, MA (59%), Burlington, VT (59%), Boston, MA-Manchester, NH (58%), Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (56%), Hartford-New Haven, CT (56%), Rochester, NY (55%), Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, CA (54%), and Seattle-Tacoma (54%).
Millennial Non-Christians Show Greater Spiritual Curiosity Than Older Adults – May 2019
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: Barna’s recent research shows that Millennials report many more faith conversations or even evangelistic encounters than older non-Christians. Though this could be partly due to the greater diversity that exists for young people among their family and friends, this isn’t the whole story. For at least some young adults, there appears to be deeper interest in spirituality in general, and in Christianity specifically. Some of the data suggests an openness to different forms of faith-sharing among the less religious, and a spiritual curiosity among Millennials in particular.
The Power of Zip Codes: An Analysis of FACT Location Data – May 2019
Author (Source): Faith Communities Today: Vital Congregations Report, a multifaith research coalition conducting surveys and practical reports on congregations and congregational life in the U.S.
Abstract: Social researchers believe that community location may influence religious attitudes and practices. Churches in smaller communities may not need a robust on-line presence; synagogues in mid-size suburbs may require more off-street parking than those in central cities where mass transit is widely used. However, local congregations often perceive themselves in ways that do not match the reality of their neighborhoods. The self-perception can be affected by group history as well as by the actual demographic characteristics of the neighborhood. If a congregation has not done an objective analysis of its location, there will be a tendency to selectively interpret the information, making the need for up-to-date demographic surveys of each neighborhood, like the one offered by the FaithX Project and MapDash for Faith Communities.
With high levels of prayer, U.S. is an outlier among wealthy nations – May 2019
Author (Source): Fact Tank, a division of the Pew Research Center, which is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions.
Abstract: Out of 102 countries examined for frequency of prayer by Pew Research Center, the U.S. is unique in that it has both a high level of wealth ($56,000 per-capita gross domestic product in 2015) and a high level of daily prayer among its population (55% according to the 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study). In every other wealthy country surveyed, fewer than 40% of adults say they pray every day. These findings are broadly aligned with other data that suggest that a country’s level of wealth is inversely proportional to its levels of religious commitment as measured by survey responses about daily prayer, belief in God, attendance at religious services and stated importance of religion in one’s life. In other words, people in poorer countries tend to be more religious than people in wealthier countries.
Most US Adults Believe Religious Freedom is Declining, but Most Protestant Pastors are Not Concerned About It – April 2019
Author (Source): Barna Research, a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
Abstract: The general U.S. population believes the state of religious freedom may be compromised. When asked in 2012 if they believe that freedom of religion in the U.S. is worse, better or about the same as it was 10 years before, most said freedom of religion was about the same as it was 10 years ago (42%), while only one-third (33%) said it was worse. This essentially flipped in 2015, when one-third reported it was the same, while four in 10 said worse (41%). That trend continued into 2017, with 43 percent saying it had become worse and fewer saying it was the same (27%). In other words, the general belief that religious freedom in the U.S. is on the decline increased by 10 percentage points over the course of five years. However, the proportion of Protestant pastors who fear religious liberties may be further restricted in the future has actually dropped. In the 2014 survey of all Christian and non-Christian clergy, over half of Protestant pastors (55%) admitted they were very concerned that religious freedom will become more restricted in the next five years; this percentage fell to below half (49%) in the 2015 / 2016 study and to one-third (34%) in 2017.
Evangelism More Prayed for Than Practiced by Churchgoers – April 2019
Author (Source): 2019 Discipleship Pathway Assessment, an online assessment for individuals and churches to measure discipleship progress in becoming more like Christ.
Abstract: Most Protestant churchgoers say they are eager to talk to others about Jesus and are praying for opportunities to share their faith, but most say they have not had any evangelistic conversations in the past six months. More than half (55%) of those who attend church at least once a month say they have not shared with someone how to become a Christian in the past six months. A majority of churchgoers (56%) say they pray for opportunities to tell others about Jesus at least once a week, with 23% praying for such moments every day. More than a quarter (27%) say they rarely or never pray for those opportunities.
Gallup Poll: Church Membership Plummets in US Over Past 20 Years – April 2019
Author (Source): Gallup, a global analytics and advice firm that helps leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Gallup combines analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations identify opportunities and create meaningful change.
Abstract: The percentage of U.S. adults who belong to a church or other religious institution has plunged by 20 percentage points over the past two decades, hitting a low of 50% last year, according to a new Gallup poll. Among major demographic groups, the biggest drops were recorded among Democrats and Hispanics. Gallup said church membership was 70% in 1999 — and close to or higher than that figure for most of the 20th century. Since 1999, the figure has fallen steadily, while the percentage of U.S. adults with no religious affiliation has jumped from 8% to 19%. Among Americans identifying with a particular religion, there was a sharp drop in church membership among Catholics — dropping from 76% to 63% over the past two decades as the church was buffeted by clergy sex-abuse scandals. Membership among Protestants dropped from 73% to 67% percent over the same period.
Where the Catholic Parishes Have Closed … and Opened – February 2019
Author (Source): Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), at Georgetown University, is a non-profit research center that conducts social scientific studies about the Catholic Church. Founded in 1964, CARA has three major dimensions to its mission: to increase the Catholic Church’s self understanding; to serve the applied research needs of Church decision-makers; and to advance scholarly research on religion, particularly Catholicism.
Abstract: One of the most common news stories about the Catholic Church in recent years involve parish closures. These events often gain local attention and time from time get coverage nationally. When the story is national, the closure(s) sometimes seems as if this is something generalizable. The national data seem to fit this characterization with the Church now operating 1,437 fewer parishes than it had in 1971. The net loss of parishes has been most heavily concentrated in dioceses in a handful of states. Really two states lead the pack in reducing their numbers of parishes. Pennsylvania has reduced its number of parishes by 532 since 1971 and New York by 500 during the same period. Other states have experienced increases in parishes, offsetting some of these losses including Texas, which has added 293 parishes, Florida which has added 165 parishes, and Arizona and New Mexico (the Diocese of Gallup crosses state lines) which added 121. The pattern in parish losses and gains follows economic and social mobility changes in the country more generally. The Sunbelt in the South has attracted population growth while the Rustbelt in the Northeast and Midwest have seen population drains over the decades. The Catholic Church, diocese by diocese, has responded to these changes by closing parishes in areas with losses and opening them in the states where population gains have occurred. It is important to note that these population gains have also included new arrivals from outside the United States as well.
Vol. 1, No. 1 Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry (SHERM Journal) – Spring 2019
Author (Source): Multiple authors, including Ken Howard, Brian McLaren, and Darren Slade.
Abstract: In this issue of SHERM academic journal, numerous authors from multiple fields of study interact with Ken Howard’s article, “The Religion Singularity,” answering questions related to the context and cause of the singularity phenomenon.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- SOCIAL-SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
- 1) “Grenz and Franke’s Post-Foundationalism and the Religion Singularity” By Jeshua B. Branch
- 2) “First Century Christian Diversity: Historical Evidence of a Social Phenomenon” By John F. Lingelbach
- INVITED POSITION PAPERS
- 3) “A Cultural Cognition Perspective on Religion Singularity: How Political Identity Influences Religious Affiliation” By Kevin S. Seybold
- 4) “Is the Disintegration of Christianity a Problem—or Even a Surprise?” By Jack David Eller
- MINISTRY RESEARCH
- 5) “Conditions for the Great Religion Singularity” By Brian D. McLaren
- 6) “Responses to the Religion Singularity: A Rejoinder” By Darren M. Slade, Kenneth W. Howard
- BOOK REVIEWS
- 7) Book Review of Crossing Boundaries, Redefining Faith By Robert D. Francis
Vital Congregations Report – 2018
Author (Source): Linda Bobbitt (Congregational Vitality Project – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
Abstract: What does a congregation mean when they describe themselves as spiritually vital? How does a congregation become vital? What is the relationship between vitality and sustainability? Does the answer depend on the faith tradition? This study asked leaders from 10 different faith traditions to answer these questions. We found remarkable similarities across all traditions while also discovering the unique perspectives of each. Their answers illustrate distinct understandings about the way people interact with God and different perspectives of God’s promise of hope for the world. Download the vitality report and explore these answers.
Faith Tradition Reflections on Vitality
Representatives from several of the participating faith traditions in this vitality study offered reflections on the results through the lens of their respective traditions.
The Religion Singularity: A Demographic Crisis Destabilizing and Transforming Institutional Christianity – 2017
Author (Source): Ken Howard, The FaithX Project (International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society)
Abstract: This article traces an emerging of a worldwide church demographic crisis that the author calls the “Religion Singularity,” and to project its impact on the future of institutional Christianity. For nineteen centuries, Christianity experienced strong and steady growth in the total numbers of Christians, worship centers, and denominations worldwide. Since then, growth in the number of Christians has continued largely unchanged. But growth in the number of denominations and worship centers turned sharply upward in recent decades, substantially exceeding the growth rate of the total Christian population. This differential is driving a concurrent decline in the size of those institutions to unsustainable levels by the end of the century. The author suggests that denominations are unlikely to survive this severe downsizing. Meanwhile, given their smaller size and more organic structure, worship centers are more likely to survive the religion singularity than their larger counterparts, but only if they are willing to become vision-guided and experimental.
America’s Changing Religious Identity – 2017
Daniel Cox and Robert Jones (The Public Religion Research Institute)
Findings from the 2016 American Values Atlas add further confirmation those of our research paper, The Religion Singularity, published in the International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society in July, which projects that institutional Christianity will become unsustainable in its current forms before the end of this century. Of particular significance is the finding that, despite decades insistence to the contrary by their proponents, theologically conservative denominations and churches congregations are not immune to the decline that has affected mainline liberal denominations after all, but rather are making up for lost time, matching or exceeding the current rate of shrinkage of their mainline brethren and sistren. In fact, it may even be worse for them than it looks, as millennials are abandoning conservative evangelical congregations at a rate faster than they are leaving other segments of institutional Christianity. (Explore the data with their interactive database tool.)
American Values, Mental Health, and Use of Technology in the Age of Trump – 2017
Paul Froese, et al (Baylor University/Baylor Religion Survey)
The 2017 Baylor Religion Survey (Wave 5) is really four surveys rolled into one:
- The Sacred Values of Trumpism examines the core religious values of Trump voters, the a rising fear of the “Other” and the growth of Christian nationalism among those voters, and how the image of God they hold compares to those held by Americans today.
- Faith and Mental Health in America explores the relationship of between mental health and religion in America today.
- Old and New: Religion v. Technology 1.0 investigates the intersection of technology and religion.
- Location, Location, Location scrutinizes the geography of religion, with a particular interest in how far Americans are willing to “commute” to church. The answer? 15 minutes. Roughly 80% of church members drive 15 minutes or less to join their congregations for worship, whether those congregations lie in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
American Congregations 2016: Teaching and Learning in American Congregations
Authors (Source): Joseph V. Crockett (Hartford Institute)
This account explores characteristics of congregations, their priorities, and vitality in relationship to their teaching, learning, and faith formation practices. Some interesting results: Those with a few clearly articulated values about faith do better than those without them. Also, smaller congregations tend to do better than larger congregations in this area.
Creating Congregational Vitality Short Scales – 2015Author (Source): Linda Bobbitt (Review of Religious Research)
Description: Building on her 2014 research, “Measuring Congregational Vitality: Phase 2 Development of an Outcome Measurement Tool,” in the same journal, Bobbitt offers 15-item and 5-items scales for measuring congregational vitality. These scales are currently being used for supplemental parochial reporting by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
America’s Changing Religious Landscape – 2015
Author (Source): Alan Cooperman (Pew Research)
Description: The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing, according to an extensive new survey by the Pew Research Center. Moreover, these changes are taking place across the religious landscape, affecting all regions of the country and many demographic groups. 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. (Explore the data with their interactive database tool.)
American Congregations Today: Thriving and Surviving – 2015
Authors (Source): David A. Roozen (Hartford Institute)
FACT2015 is the fifth survey in a series beginning in 2000, and replicated in 2005, 2008 and 2010. This report focuses on an initial look at core trends across the survey series and a first look at new sets of questions introduced in the 2015 survey. FACT2015 documents continuing overall decline in attendance and vitality in American congregations. While the number of churches thriving still outnumbers the number of struggling congregations, the downward trend is unmistakable. Also, significant: in the face of an increasing rate of change congregations are getting worse rather than better at handling change.
American Congregations 2015: Engaging Young Adults
Authors (Source): Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi (Hartford Institute)
Using the Faith Communities Today 2015 survey results to explore young adult ministries (with “young adult” referring to individuals 18 to 34 years old), this report highlights major findings from that study in order to gain a better understanding of current trends and characteristics of congregations with flourishing young adult ministries.
The Values and Beliefs of the American Public – 2011
Kevin D. Dougherty, et al (Baylor University/Baylor Religion Survey)
The 2011 Baylor Religion Survey (Wave 3) explores the values and beliefs of Americans on a variety of faith-related topics, including: God and The American Dream; stereotypes about liberals and conservative believers; mental health, spirituality, and images of God; the relationship between religion, anxiety and melancholy, religion and perceptions of life chances, the religious significance of work; the role of business In church; social and religious characteristics of contemporary American entrepreneurs; the impact of beliefs about heaven and hell; and attitudes toward homosexuality and restrictions on equality.
Attracting and Keeping Members – 2011 Author (Source):
Mike McMullen (Faith Communities Today)
Offers research, insights and resources to help clergy, seminarians and congregational leaders deal constructively with integrating and energizing both new and old congregational participants, an often-forgotten aspect of maintaining healthy religious communities.
What Americans Really Believe – 2008
Rodney Stark, et al (Baylor University/Baylor Religion Survey)
From the Bible to Bigfoot and denominations to The Da Vinci Code, the 2008 Baylor Religion Survey (Wave 2) examines contemporary American religious attitudes on a broad spectrum of subjects. The overarching theme is that some fundamental American religious practices and ideas have remained both stable and diverse as a result of religious competition.
The Challenge of Retention and Assimilation – 2008 Author (Source):
Nathaniel Dean, et al (United Methodist Church)
The findings of a study on recruiting, retaining, & assimilating members.
Church Planting and Congregational Growth (Research Review) – 2008 Author (Source):
Ken Howard (The FaithX Project)
A review of current research on effective church planting and congregational growth.
American Piety in the 21st Century – 2006
Christopher Bader, et al (Baylor University/Baylor Religion Survey)
To the uncritical eye, American Christianity might seem monolithic. But the 2006 Baylor Religious Survey (Wave 1) uncovers a surprising breadth and depth of variety of affiliation and belief. Of particular interest are the findings on the rapidly increasing numbers of Americans who are “unaffiliated but not unbelieving.”
Church Health Indicators: A Research Review – 2005 Author (Source):
Ken Howard (The FaithX Project)
A “reverse engineering” review of the church closure portion of the church turn-around research to suggest indicators of church health.
Church, Identity & Change: Theology & Denominational Structures in Unsettled Times – 2005 Authors (Source):
David A. Roozen and James R. Nieman (Hartford Institute)
There is much talk today about the death of denominations. But could it be that the real issue is how denominations think about their organizations and structures?
Church Plant Survivability and Health Study – 2007
Authors (Source): Ed Stetzer and Phillip Connor (Center for Missional Research)
A broad variety of statistics on survival and sustainability of startup congregations, including: Coaching improves odds of survivability increase by 135%, and 400% when the church planter has a “realistic” understanding and expectation of the church-planting experience.
Church Planting Intiative Report – 2009 Author (Source):
C. Kirk Hadaway & Adair T. Lummis (The Episcopal Church)
Most dioceses reported knowing where they could start new congregations if they had the resources and leadership to do so. Many dioceses reported having a strategy for church planting. All reported needing additional funds for church planting.
Church Planting, Growth, and Turn-Arounds (Reseach Bibliography) – 2002 Author (Source):
Ken Howard (The FaithX Project)
: A bibliography of research reports and summaries.
Church Turn-Arounds (Research Review) – 2000 Author (Source):
Ken Howard (The FaithX Project)
A review of the research on church turn-arounds/church closure indicators.
The Compassionate Congregation (Insights into) – 2010 Author (Source):
Theresa Zingery & David Breeden (Faith Communities Today)
Congregations involved in social outreach programs often discover multiple benefits: the potential for faster growth, an enhanced sense of vitality, and the satisfaction of expressing the congregation’s compassion through direct service to those in need. This publication offers research, tips and resources to help clergy, seminarians, and congregational leaders to become more actively engaged in compassionate social ministry.
Congregational Conflict (Insights into) – 2011 Author (Source):
David A. Roozen (Faith Communities Today)
Research-based insights into the nature of congregational conflict. It is widespread, it can be an impediment to financial vitality and growth, yet if handled appropriately, it can be an opportunity for both.
Conflict in Congregations (Research Review) – 2011 Author/Source:
The Indianapolis Center for Congregations
A review of research into congregational conflict, with similar results as the above study.
Congregation Size and Church Growth in the Episcopal Church – 2001 Author (Source):
C. Kirk Hadaway (The Episcopal Church)
Contrary to what you might have heard, small congregations are a large source of growth for the Episcopal Church.
Congregational Growth (Insights into) – 2007 Author (Source):
Dirk J. Hart (Faith Communities Today)
Description:
What do joyful worship, clear purpose, multiple weekend services, and plans for growth have in common? Here’s a hint: they are among those aspects of congregational life that deserve careful attention when thinking about the challenges of numerical growth.
Congregational Vitality Report – 2010
Towers Watson (United Methodis Church)
This report proposes a “vitality index” based on four factors: number of small groups & programs, lay leadership effectiveness, worship & preaching effectiveness, and pastoral leadership effectiveness.
Driving Factors in Congregational Vitality
A Decade of Mega-Churches – 2012
Warren Bird & Scott Thumma (Hartford Institute)
Description:
This report reinforces a lot of what we already knew about mega-churches, but there are a few surprizing results as well, and some things the rest of us can learn.
Episcopal Church Growth: 2005 (FACTS) – 2006 Author (Source):
C. Kirk Hadaway (The Episcopal Church)
The latest research on factors related to growth and decline in Episcopal Congregations shows surprizing results: conservative churches do not always grow; liberal churches do not always decline.
Episcopal Churches in the United States (Report) – 2002 Author (Source):
C. Kirk Hadaway (The Episcopal Church)
Factors related to congregational strength.
The Impact of Church Planting on the Local Community – 1996
Author (Source): Alan Bing (ChurchArmy)
Description: Masters degree disseration on the impact of church plants.
The Impact of the 2008 recession on American Congregations (Abstract) – 2010
Author (Source):
David A. Roozen (Faith Communities Today)
Description:
The abstracted findings of the American Congregations 2010 research study that deal with the impact of the 2008 recession. 80% of congregations report declining income. The number of troubled congregations rises 20%.
Meaning & Motivation – A Comprehensive Model (re-released 2016)
Author (Source): Ken Howard, The FaithX Project (International Conference on Meaning)
Description: Howard describes motivation as a dynamic experiential process which includes individual meaning in both expectancy, effort, performance, and reward. While this paper focuses on the motivation of adult learners, it has broad implications and applications to meaning and motivation in leadership, organizational development, faith and spirituality, and a variety of other settings.
New Church Development (Research Report) – 2001 Authors (Source):
C. Kirk Hadaway & Penny L. Marler (The Episcopal Church)
Characteristics and growth patterns of new congregations, characteristics of their leaders, and what it takes to successfully plant a new church.
Reaching the Unchurched (Research Summary) – 2005 Author (Source):
Ken Howard (The FaithX Project)
: A review of the research on the unchurched and how to reach them. Some surprising results.
Mission Funding & Fundraising in Episcopal Dioceses – 2003 Author (Source):
C. Kirk Hadaway (The Episcopal Church)
Great variety exists among Episcopal dioceses in financial resources and approaches to mission funding. This report provides a unique look at endowments, capital campaigns and diocesan missional priorities.
2020 Task Force Report – 2001 Chair (Source):
Gethin B. Hughes (The Episcopal Church)
Describes a vision, goals, and strategies for doubling the church by 2020 (includes some research on church planting and growth).
Toward Vitality Research Project – 2012
Kim Shockley, et al (UMC General Board of Discipleship)
This recently-completed research study is still being analyzed but a number of interesting findings are available on what makes churches vital.
Summaries: Final Report • Statistical Report
Virtually Religious: Technology & Internet Use in American Congregations – 2012 Author (Source):
Scott Thumma (Faith Communities Today)
Describes the technological use by religious groups, identifies the factors that either aid or hinder its use, and highlight the positive outcomes for the congregation that embraces the use of technology in all its forms.
