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Demolition: One Less Church (#2111)
The numeric decline of American Christianity has been the most publicized religious story for my entire life. In recent years, more and more stories have focused on congregational closures. Just a few...
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Aging Presbyterians: 3 in 5 PCUSA Members Now Over Age 55 (#2118)
Nearly 3 in 5 members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) are now over age 55 (58.2%). By comparison, only 3 out of every 10 people living in the United States were 55 years of age or older in 2022...
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Visiting 75 Churches in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metro Area (#2119)
Many people visit a few churches. Some people visit many churches. I’ve been fortunate to visit an incredible number of congregations, including 75 in the Dallas – Fort Worth metropolitan area of...
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ELCA Membership Cut in Half (#2125)
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was formed in 1988 by the merger of three Lutheran denominations: American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the...
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My Religion is Dying: A Deep Dive into Mainline Decline (#2128)
Confession: I am a lifelong Mainline Protestant. While I’ve switched denominations many times – from Presbyterian (PCUSA) to Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to Lutheran (ELCA) to Presbyterian...
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Chronicling and Shepherding Religious Decline: One Pastor’s Story (#2139)
In recent years Ryan Burge has increasingly become known as the guy who effectively communicates the story of religious decline in America through accessible articles filled with charts and graphs. He...
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Turning Your Vehicle Into a Religious Billboard (#2162)
It happened to me again last week. I found myself behind a vehicle with a religious message I couldn’t help but notice. Honda Accord with Religious Message (photo by Greg Smith) For whatever reason,...
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Giving Thanks – Top 10 Experiences in 2024 (#2168)
Welcome to the month of giving thanks, a month that includes the Thanksgiving holiday. In recent years (2023, 2022 2021), I’ve taken time in early November to reflect on all of the life experiences I...
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2024 in Exactly 100 Words (#2173)
After sending Christmas letters back in the era when postal mail was just called mail, I shifted that annual correspondence online many years ago. In 2016 I condensed it to 100 words recognizing that...
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Surprise! Almost Everyone Goes to Church (#2193)
Unlike most data about church attendance that relies on self-reported responses to survey questions, a new working paper by Devin G. Pope relies on cell phone data. And, amazingly, finds that “73% of...
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