The Majority of Clergy Don't Believe the Basics; What to Do


The prominent pollster, George Barna, penned a piece recently lamenting the results of another survey group. The other group found Christian clergy, when surveyed anonymously, admitted they themselves do not believe much of Christian orthodoxy. Survey results showed the younger the clergy the less likely to believe. Youth pastors, whom the faith depends on for survival, are least likely to be believers.

Barna's point was that each church goer needs to study the faith and decide for themselves what is the "truth."  Clergy can no longer be the source. This is another example of Barna not understanding modern society. 

I've been trying to understand the murky world of Christian marketing and Barna's alarm might explain some of it. What I've been trying to understand is the popular practice of disguising the origin or pedigree of modern urban churches. There are several churches in my urban area called "Hope Lutheran" or "Lutheran Church of Hope" or other variations of those words. 

I know part of their worship is concert style with Christian rock music and an occasional young preacher walking back and forth across a stage and talking. I looked for quite a while to find which branch of Lutherans one of all using the word "Hope" is affiliated with. Did not find a thing.

In another city near here is a large modern church with an unfamiliar name. It also holds concert style services. I went there for a wedding are few years ago. While it also hides its denominational origin I found out it was first sponsored by a local Southern Baptist congregation. It is trying to establish other churches, often near large university campuses.

While I'm engaging in my own speculation and conspiracy, I have a theory about why this is murky business is going on. It is because long term thinkers in the faith know even better than Barna about this slippage in belief among both clergy and those in the pews. Their solution is the concert style worship. That is, if church is an attractive entertainment venue it can hold on to at least a slice of the U.S. population.

Or, perhaps they think in this way, "Since neither the clergy nor those in the pews believe the old stuff anymore, why spend time talking about it? We spend part of a gathering reading stuff from the Bible when people don't believe it? Why not make church just a place where people come to feel better? The talk-all-Jesus-all-the-time thing and music is the answer." 

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