The New York Times ran a story this weekend on the “burst of new interest” at evangelical churches across the country since the market has tumbled. It’s hardly surprising in times of trouble to see people looking for something outside themselves to rely on.
What’s interesting is that, while church attendance is up in Roman Catholic parishes and mainline Protestant congregations also, the growth is said to be much more dramatic in evangelical churches. Why the disparity? The Times article includes a few different takes on it:
1. Evangelicals remain less affluent on the whole than members of mainline churches and therefore depend more on their congregations for material support in hard times. When things are going well, on the other hand, more evangelicals work on Sundays.
2. The evangelical tradition has more flexibility (less liturgy) to adapt to what is on everyone’s minds, be it through sermons or anything else communicated during the service.
3. “We have the greatest product on earth,” says Steve Tomlinson, senior pastor of Manhasset, NY-based Shelter Rock Church.
I can’t help but cringe at the phrase “greatest product on earth,” which gives the body of Christ a Barnum & Bailey flavor. I do think, however, that certain evangelical emphases–a personal relationship with God, the eternal life to come, Christ’s divinity and miraculous work–are hitting especially close to home for a lot of people right now.
The second point is interesting, too. What are you doing in your churches to address the struggles that your members are facing? Let’s pray that God works through this upheaval to shake people out of their lethargy and self-deceit and into a lasting embrace of his kingship in their lives.
UPDATE: This Gallup poll evidence appears to contradict the claim by the Times that churchgoing is on the rise. It would be interesting to see these attendance numbers broken down into evangelical, mainline, Catholic, etc. I would still expect that there has been growth in evangelical circles, and declines elsewhere have offset that. Who knows? Either way, keep praying for God to expand his kingdom!
