While Christianity seems to be flourishing in Africa, Asia and Latin America, many believe it is dying in the U.S. and is already on life support in Europe and Canada. What is the actual condition of the Christian faith in America? Although cultural trends often do shift unexpectedly, there is some reason for optimism, as well as significant challenge facing the church in the U.S.
More 'Born agains'
At first glance, there does seem to be a vigorous and growing Christian community in America.
According to The Barna Group, a polling firm that focuses on religious faith in the U.S., the number of "born again Christians" (see definitions below) is growing. The "proportion of adults who can be classified as 'born again Christians' ... was the highest ever measured in the quarter century that Barna has been tracking that measure," it said in a recent report.
Barna Group Definitions
- Born again Christians: People who say they've made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and who believe they will go to heaven when they die because they have confessed their sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.
- Evangelicals: Born again Christians who also meet seven other conditions, including the belief that they have a personal responsibility to share their faith with others; that salvation is possible only by grace through faith, and not works; and that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches.
Barna reported that 45% of all adults claimed to be born again -- up from 31% in 1983. "The current figure represents the largest single-year increase since 1991-1992," the group said. When the subject turns to the narrower category of evangelicals, the percentage is smaller: 9% of all adults fit into that category.
Moreover, the notion that America is awash in non-Christian religions, pagan faiths and hordes of atheists does not appear to be true. "Adults who are aligned with faiths other than Christianity, and those who consider themselves to be atheist or agnostic, each comprise less than 10% of the population," Barna said.
Generally speaking then, the American people still seem interested in the Christian faith. George Barna said research reveals "that people's faith is not at all deep, but at least more people are becoming attuned to the importance of the life, death, resurrection and message of Jesus Christ."
Religious Behaviors Increasing
Barna's research presents an even brighter picture when religious activity is considered. The Barna Group reported that "there has been a significant increase in religious activity related to five of the seven core religious behaviors studied by the company."
In 2006, 47% of adults said they read the Bible during a typical week, up dramatically from 1995, when the number hit a 20-year low of just 31%. Increases were also registered in four more areas: church attendance, involvement in small groups that meet for Bible reading and other spiritual practices, church volunteerism, and Sunday School attendance.
The only two areas out of the seven that did not see an increase were prayer and evangelism. In the survey, 84% said they had prayed during the preceding week -- a high percentage that has not changed since 1993, when Barna said it first began tracking the practice of prayer.
As for personal evangelism, 60% of born again Christians said they had shared their faith with someone they knew was not a Christian. As with prayer, this was a percentage that had not changed during the last decade, Barna said.
"It is typical for us to see one or maybe two measures surge forward in a given year, only to stabilize or perhaps retreat to prior levels in subsequent years," Barna said. "The intriguing possibility is that with most of our key behavioral measures showing increases at the same time, there is the possibility that this may herald a holistic, lasting commitment to engagement with God and the Christian faith."
