Michael Spencer wrote an article which was published on the Christian Science Monitor website earlier this week. The link is here: http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0310/p09s01-coop.html. I think a number of things Spencer wrote are right on target, however I disagree with a number of statements he made. For instance, Spencer stated, "We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity." While evangelical Christianity is experiencing a major change, I disagree with the notion of a major crash. What I believe is occurring is a realignment of priorities and a shift in methodology. It is true that evangelicals were too closely aligned with the cultural war and political conservatism, but this is due to the fact that political conservatism is the ideology most closely aligned with the values of evangelicals. Furthermore, we are to engage our culture in order to transform our culture. We are to be a city on a hill. The problem arose when evangelicals decided to engage in the culture wars through political action RATHER than through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit by means of the gospel. While Spencer and I agree with the cause of the problem, we disagree with the result. Spencer believes that "Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress. Public leaders will consider us bad for America, bad for education, bad for children, and bad for society." When examined from a global perspective (as well as a historical perspective), we learn that the church flourishes when it is the subject of public persecution.
Spencer's second point about the failure of the church to pass on orthodox doctrines would appear to be correct. In order to sustain the church through the shift and persecution, we must do a better job at passing on a biblical worldview. The same is true for his fourth and sixth point. The three points are essentially the same point made several times.
The third point Spencer made was "There are three kinds of evangelical churches today: consumer-driven megachurches, dying churches, and new churches whose future is fragile. Denominations will shrink, even vanish, while fewer and fewer evangelical churches will survive and thrive." I think the notion of three kinds of evangelical churches is simplistic and naive. While it is true that there are megachurches, dying churches, and new churches, it is also true that there are a number of small, medium and large (not mega) churches which are thriving. Furthermore, there are unknown numbers of simple churches thriving and multiplying across the nation. These churches fly under the radar and are ideal for urban centers. The evangelical church is growing, but it doesn't look like the 20th century church.
Spencer's last point is ironic since he previously railed against consumer driven churches. Suffice it to say that the Kingdom of God does not rely on money to flourish. Neither does evangelicalism. We are not talking about an organization in the same manner as a business or non-profit (though churches are classified as such). What we are discussing are ideals, theologies, and principles. A reliance on money is what stifles the growth of the church. How many pastors of dying churches have said "we can't start new churches because we don't have the money." This lack of faith in the provision of God is a root problem for a number of churches.
It is true that denominations are declining, and a large number of churches will close their doors. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just as the vinedresser must prune sickly branches, so too does the church need occasional pruning.
But are we losing the culture wars? According to the American Religious Identification Survey, http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/, the situation is not clear. Baptists have gained two million adherents in the last 7 years, but are still declining in proportion to the population of the United States. Mainline denominations are declining with 38.6% of mainline Protestants now identify themselves as evangelical. Most significantly, 27% of Americans are functional agnostics/atheists in that they do not expect a religious funeral. Obviously, the work is set before us. It will be difficult work, but it is the task set before us. Jesus Christ promised his church "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." The church will grow when it returns to its mission.
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