Protestants: No longer a majority

The American religious landscape is changing. The US is no longer majority Protestant and nearly a quarter of the population has no religious affiliation--about the same number that say they are Catholic. That's according to a recent Pew survey. You can see the Survey information here or read a summary of the findings by state in the Daily Mail here.

Domestic violence and church

Most Protestant senior pastors say they know victims of domestic violence but seldom address the topic from the pulpit. That's according to a new survey that found only a minority of them have had any training about how to help victims. Read more about the LifeWay Research survey here.

The declining membership numbers of the Protestant church

The dramatic decline in confidence in organized religion is unmistakable. According to the General Social Surveys of the National Opinion Research Center, the percentage of Americans who have a great deal of confidence in organized religion declined dramatically from 2000 to 2010—and the decline was nearly the same for evangelicals as for oldliners. Surprisingly, the biggest decline among any age group within these families is among older evangelicals. Among that group, the number expressing confidence in organized religion fell from 42 percent to 26. Indeed, this was the largest decline for any family or age group except among younger black Protestants—another ominous sign for an established segment of American religion. Read more at the Christian Century here.

Evangelical Numbers are now Falling

Catholics and evangelical Protestants have joined oldline Protestants in declining numbers. The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches also shows the Pentecostal/holiness stream has slowed from the 1980s from 4 percent to barely more than one percent now. Read more details from the Christian Century here.

2010 Membership & Giving

Giving to churches was down more than $1 billion in 2010. That's according to the latest Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches which is published by the National Council of Churches. Some of the findings:

•  The Roman Catholic Church is still the largest religious group in the US with 68.2 million members, but its growth was under one percent in 2010. 
• Membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America fell nearly 6% to 4.3 million members. 
• The Southern Baptist Convention, the second-largest religious group in the US, reported a membership decline of less than 1 percent - the 4th consecutive drop. Their 2010 membership is at 16.1 million people. 
• The Mormon church rose 1.6% and the Assemblies of God rose 4%.

How Luther went viral

Five centuries before Facebook and the Arab spring, social media helped bring about the Reformation. Read the story at The Economist.

Religion by State

Here's a graphic showing Gallup poll results of non-Catholic Christians -by state. They are heavily concentrated in the South and nearby states, while constituting only a minority of residents of Northeastern states, and of many Middle Atlantic and Western states.

Mississippi and Alabama are at the top with 81% and 80% Protestant/other Non-Catholic Christian.

The state with the lowest proportion of non-Catholic Christians is Utah. Other states that are low in terms of non-Catholic Christian representation are those with high percentages of Catholics, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.

Why They Leave

Most former Protestants and Catholics say their decision to leave their church was not prompted by a single event or issue but gradually took place over time (71%). Here are some other findings in a new study:

Was clergy sex-abuse scandals an important reason for why you left your church?
Yes- 27% of those who are now unaffiliated

Was finding a religion you liked better an important reason for why you left your church?
Yes – 58%

Was “unmet spiritual needs” an important reason for why you left your church?
Yes – 51%

Was the reason for your withdrawal from faith because you "just do not believe in God" or most religious teachings any more?
Yes – 42% Catholic
Yes-39% Protestant

Was the notion that "modern science proves religion is superstition" an important reason for your disaffiliation?
Yes – 32%

Do you see religious people as hypocritical, judgmental and insincere?
Yes -75% (unaffiliated)

Are you open to returning to the faith sometime in the future and just have not found the right religion yet?
Yes – 33% (unaffiliated)

Did you stop believing in church teaching?
Yes – 65% Catholic
Yes - 50% Protestant

Wa the Catholic Church's specific teachings on abortion and homosexuality an important reason for your departure?
Yes – 56% (former Catholics who are now unaffiliated)
Yes – 23% (former Catholics who are now Protestant)

Source: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Global Warming Survey

Nearly half of Protestant pastors believe global warming is a real man-made problem. About the same number disagree. A recent poll asked whether pastors strongly or somewhat agree that man-made global warming exists.

• 47% of all the pastors surveyed agreed
• 75% of mainline pastors agree
• 32% of evangelical pastors agree
• 61% of mainline pastors reported preaching about the environment several times a year or more
• 23% of evangelical pastors reported preaching about the environment several times a year or more

Source: LifeWay Research

Denominational Loyalty

Regular Churchgoers

• 70% would be at least somewhat open to switching denominations
• 51% do express preference for one denomination, but would also consider others
• 44% report having one preferred denomination, but they would also consider others
• 30% say they would only consider attending one denomination
• 11% percent have a small number of denominations they would consider with no particular favorite among them
• 9% say the denomination does not factor into their decision of what church to attend
• 6% do not have any particular denomination they prefer, but they do have certain ones they would not consider
  
  Catholics
• 60% would only consider attending a Roman Catholic church
• 40% would at least be open to another denomination
• 29% have a preferred denomination but would consider others
• 11% do not show a specific preference for attending a Catholic parish
  
  Protestants
• 67% have a preferred denomination though they will consider others
• 60% are exclusively loyal to one denomination
• 33% do not have any preference for one specific denomination
• 16% will only consider attending their current denomination
  
  Non-denominational churchgoers
• 32% prefer a non-denominational congregation
• 29% say they will only consider a non-denominational church
• 16% have a small selection of denominations they would consider (including non-denominational) with no specific preference
• 15% don’t have a specific preference but do have some denominations they would avoid
• 9% don’t pay attention to denomination when selecting a church
  Source: Ellison Research

Changing Churches

A new survey shows nearly 7 out of 10 Americans have attended more than one place of worship as an adult. The Ellison Research study shows only 3 out of 10 say their current place of worship is the only one they have regularly attended since age 18. Here are some other findings about American Protestants:

• 43% have moved to a larger congregation
• 45% switched to a smaller one
• 11% are attending a place that is about the same size of the place they left

• 31% say their current church has a more contemporary worship style
• 42% say their new church is more traditional in worship
• 51% have switched to a place similar in worship style

• 28% moved to a place that is more theologically conservative
• 12% changed to one that is more liberal

• 52% moved to a place that is theologically different from their old church

Catholics:

• 25% moved to a place that is theologically different from their old church

Politics in Pennsylvania

The next presidential primary will be held in Pennsylvania a week from Tuesday (April 22). Here's how the Christian vote stacks up:

Catholics make up 29% of the state's population
36% of Democrats in Pennsylvania

Evangelicals are 18% of the state's population
32% of Democrats in Pennsylvania

Source: a Pew and Franklin Marshall poll conducted last month

Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama will appear in Harrisburg at Messiah College tonight at The Compassion Forum.

PROTESTANTS GO FOR HILLARY

Protestants voted strongly for Hillary Clinton in primary voting according to exit polling by Edison/Mitofsky. Here’s how the Protestant vote among Dems breaks out by state. Listed is the Clinton margin over Obama:

Tenn 38
Ohio 34
Ga 27
Wis 22
Mo 20
Fl 18
Mass 16
Cal 15
Texas 12
Ariz 12
Md 11
Ill -11
Va -18

LENT FOR EVANGELICALS

Washington’s National Community Church is one of a growing number of Evangelical Churches observing Lent – an ancient church practice typically observed by Catholic churches. Other Evangelical churches offer private confession, Quaker-style silence, weekly communion and the lighting of candles at Advent. Supporters say the traditions add a richness to the worship experience while critics reject the movement mystical practices that don't belong in the church.