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On the Lasting Evangelical Survival

What will and will not survive of this movement.

Mark Galli | posted 3/11/2009 11:50AM

The Internet is abuzz with the latest prognostications about "the coming evangelical collapse." This is the substance of three blog posts over at Internet Monk (a.k.a. Michael Spencer), who predicts said ...

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Dmitri

Posted: March 21, 2009 2:09 PM

When have we been early adopters of new technology? We should be on top of films and television but we are not. It is something where we can become more like God, it is similar to showing visions -- most evangelicals have missed this. And its not just an ability, technology comes from good character that follows after God: hard work, wisdom, and being a creator like our Father. I think this is one of the biggest failings of the chuch. We must get involved more in technology, especially movies and television, and we DROPPED THE BALL on it in the 20th century. Why? We couldn't get together, to work together, our own doctrines and divisions kept it from being successful. Yes I think TBN falls short of what is right and expected of followers of Christ.

Kris	Posted: March 21, 2009 8:42 AM


Thanks again, Mark. I love your definition of evangelicalism. I chafe against some of cultural evangelicalism, but I'll readily align myself with your definition.

Tesfatadelle

Posted: March 20, 2009 4:21 PM

If revivals are defined by socialogists descriptions or any other descriptions for a given era, then the death of any moment in that era is invitable. However, God's moves are not predictable nor His grace exhaustable. Like Jeremiah, I say "This I call to mind and therefore I have hope; because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed; His compassions fail not, they are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness" Jer 3:21-24. And I will keep singing "Give me oil in my lamp to keep me burning..." for relents always to calamities Jonah 4:2

Good Riddance

Posted: March 20, 2009 11:27 AM


Buh-bye Evangelicals! Semper Reformata-ing yourselves into utter incoherence. Don't let the Wittenberg Door hit you on the way out!

GentleLamb

Posted: March 17, 2009 6:57 PM


On Evangelical survival, it really depends what we defined by being an evangelical. If we cant help but based it on polarising issues such as Prop 8, or supporting a more conservative government, this will define our fall. www.psa91.com

Dr Steve

Posted: March 17, 2009 4:18 PM

As a professor of American Religious History, who loves the Lord and longs for His appearing, I concur that the evangel will never disappear until Christ's return. Whether the culture that is associated with it does is of little or no importance to most whose real concern is the gospel. But what Spencer and the author of this article fail to recognize is that there are certain political and socio-cultural mores that evangelicals will always associate with because they are consistent with God Christ, and the Holy Spirit that lives in us. Advocating for the dispossessed, the unborn, the needy, for justice, mercy, grace and absolute truth is consistent with the Spirit of God as expressed in the Bible. It is the light of the world. It will never fade away as it is the visible witness of God that is expressed by the church on the earth. That witness will remain when the rest will fade away. In this sense, according to my sources, (the Bible) Spencer and the others have it backwards.

Larry Vern Newman

Posted: March 17, 2009 9:51 AM

It might be interesting if, somewhere between now and the final gasp of that elusive genre "evangelical," there could be an identification of what exactly it is that is going to collapse. To my knowledge, to date, there has been no definitive consensus as to what evangelical means. How then do we determine what has collapsed let alone when it has. When an astute scholar, such as Donald G. Bloesch, has to struggle to reach a personal defintion of evangelical, as he does in his recent book, "Theological Notebook Vol. 4," where he presents the reader with nine definitions of evangelical, we gather some sense of the conundrum before us. One should not get their hopes too high in this regard since this challenge has been with the church for a few hundred years and will remain with us whatever collapses whenever it collapses. Like I said, "I'm not certain that I understand all I know about that." :-)

Xino	Posted: March 17, 2009 9:35 AM

Evangelicalism is just the name of a style, like Liberal, Neo-Orthodox, or Paleo-Conservative. Styles will come and go. Christianity remains. The death of the Evangelical style is already apparent. Go to any evangelical church, and you see aging baby boomers who have tied themselves at the hip to the Religious Right. Young people are under-represented, and those who are there are those who have been raised in the church. Ask them quietly, and they'll tell you that they're deeply uncomfortable with what the church has become. Meanwhile, the aging Baby Boomers can think of nothing else but trying make the church more emotional, more flashy in its look and worship. Evangelicalism will fade away when the Baby Boomers get too tired to keep it up - and that will be within 10 years. What kind of post-evangelical Protestantism emerges remains to be seen. I hope it is less emotional, more substantive, and values the intellect a lot more - and is open to more contemplative modes.

Alan	Posted: March 16, 2009 3:31 PM

It would have been helpful to have a more scholarly input to prophecy. Such as the fact that a small percentage of what a prophet did in the OT was predict the future. Most of it involved a prophet telling Israel, "If you don't change your ways...this will happen..." Prophets mostly commented on social ills, unrighteous acts, and provided military advice (Judges 4:4-10) It should also be noted that prophets "filled it the gap" for the distance between God and his people. Christ fulfilled this gap (temple curtain tearing at the death of Christ). Some how, prophecy has been turned into something that people twist to full fill some sort of need or attention. No doubt, God could give anyone a "word", but common sense should be used. God gave us a brain for a reason.

Lynn Berntson

Posted: March 16, 2009 2:15 PM


Jesus iss doing fine with His church and the gates of hell will not oprevail against it. The "institutional" church modeled after any corporate system has little to do with the ecclesia, assembly of believers. "and few will enter the narrow gate". The word evangelical doesn't relate.

Shyam

Posted: March 16, 2009 1:16 AM


Fair and Fcatual. Spencer's conclussion that RCC will benefit is attrocious, not only because evangelicals won't return to it in significant numbers but also because the demise of RCC will precede evangelicalism, if at all it happens. Probably the intention of Spencer is to give a glimmer of hope to those who within the RCC are facing its closure in ten years!

Tim Peverill

Posted: March 16, 2009 12:00 AM

It's amazing that so many Americans think "evangelicalism" is American somehow. American evangelicalism will perhaps soon be a historical relic in the same sense that Puritanism is today. However, elements will remain active for generations to come. I, for one, will be glad to see much of its cultural baggage get lost on the airport carousel of history! That's why we should be careful that we pack the essentials of our faith as "carry on's".

Paul	Posted: March 14, 2009 7:41 AM

Michael Spencer targets evangelicalism while missing the larger phenomenom that may signal its passing, at least in its current form. Government "of the people, by the people and for the people" developed in Northwestern Europe and North America, built upon the model of congregational ecclesiatical government as David Neff infers in his article, "Long Live the Law". To those who would argue that the Enlightenment produced such governments, I would point to the French Revolution and the promulgation of Communism as evidence to the contrary. Without the servant attitude of Jesus Christ significantly influencing national thought, democracy as we know it will pass. Once again, it will be the hierarchical rule of the powerful without the consent of the people such as we see in much of the world outside Europe and North America. Niether evangelicalism nor democracy will die in ten years, but they may die together. Then again, there will likely be another Reformation or Great Awakening.

barnabas

Posted: March 13, 2009 8:59 PM

these people dont know anything about GOD, and JESUS His son and they talk about His works like they are discussing the theories of some smart earthly human can a robot ever outsmart its creator? if you all think you're so smart , why dont you keep from aging and defy death. its obvious to me that you are not a believer in the WORD of GOD. please do not waste our precious time anymore by publishing such unproductive spiritual thoughts in a "christian"magazine.

Gary - Mozarks

Posted: March 13, 2009 5:05 PM


This is a silly "prophecy". As long as there are Christians who are willing to share their faith with others - which there always will be - evangelicalism will not die. Gary Mozarks

Mark	Posted: March 13, 2009 12:46 PM

The Catholic Church, despite 2,000 years of occasionally horrific sins by ordained, consecrated and lay Catholics, has always been, is now, and always will be a missionary church. That is a core Catholic teaching. And yet if you were to ask Catholics if they are Christian, most would say "No, I'm Catholic," because the term "Christian" now is culturally defined as meaning Protestant/Evangelical. I could use many words to describe myself: Catholic, evangelical, charismatic, Christian - or just erase the commas and make it one description. The problem is that we tend to identify ourselves by such words, not our faith. Paul decried those who identified with him or Apollos. He insists that we know, and identify solely with, Jesus. The sooner we die to our "I'm better than you are" name-brand religious identities (i.e., to ourselves) and simply say "I follow Jesus Christ," the sooner He can make Himself known to us and through us.

Pete	Posted: March 13, 2009 10:41 AM

Evangelicalism is not a title or a label except that which was produced by liberal critics and those of us in the faith who accepted the title as a badge of honor. But in reality, Evangelicalism IS a behavior that ALL Christians are called to. I refuse to fall into the politically correct theology that is creeping into our Christian society. Regardless of the Post-Modern scism that has infected the Church of Jesus Christ, I adhere to the truth in the Word and I think that it is a GOOD thing to demonstrate personal responsibility and accountability. To pick on Dr. James Dobson because the "Evangelical" wave has slowed is akin to attempting to kick one while one is down. Go ahead and join the mob Mark. I will continue the "unpopular" fight.

Basil

Posted: March 13, 2009 10:31 AM

Most of us agree that Evangelicalism is in poor health. Besides this fact I do think that Michael Spencer's article is a little too specific. Many of his observations are right on however the times we live in are very unpredictable. Who would have thought that on Sept 10th 2001 that the day following would just be another ordinary day and life would go on as usual? I also have to note that Michael Spencer's bias seems to be quite clear. He defines himself as a post-evangelical. Could it be possible that his self identity as such dictates his attitude towards Evangelicalism and how he interprets it's future?

Waylon@mercymatters.com

Posted: March 12, 2009 10:18 PM

How do you define dying? Stops growing? Looses all its members? Becomes irrelevant to the culture? Ithink many would say the evangelical church is in declining health at very best. I personally feel that there are two key factors that would turn the church around: (1) A relevant emphasis on loving relationships as defined Scripturally."Love one another As I have loved you" Jesus John 13:34 (2) A greater emphasis on the Heavenly Father and Jesus the Son as a key paradigm of the Kingdom. The Church should be the expert on father-love, both Heavenly Father love and earthly father love which is supposed to a picture of the Heavenly Father on earth. The image of the Father God has become seriously distorted because the earthly father has become so irrelevant. A new empahsis on these two concepts I believe with all my heart will spark a new move of God's Spirit across the earth and in the Evangelical Church for sure.

Victor in Woodstock

Posted: March 12, 2009 1:42 PM

The problem with the evangelical church is found in two places, in the pulpit and in the pew. When our pastors start being the evangelisitc leaders again modeling evangelism as described in the New Testament, then will the so call evangelical church once again become evangelisitc. When the Christian in the pew stops making excuses about why he cannot witness, why evangelism does not work, and instead witnessing more and praying more to God to be used, will the tide turn. Let's stop trying to figure out how to witness and begin witnessing. We say we have the Word of God in our possession but we live as though it does not work. We have plenty of witnessing models and strategies in the Bible but we live and say that God's plan for evangelism is not relevant, this is a lie from hell. This sounds like another of the devil's plans and the evangelical church has bought into it. God forgive us for ever doubting Your Word. I believe doubting God's Word was where Eve's sin problem began.

John	Posted: March 12, 2009 1:12 PM


Great response. Especially your comment re: the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. In my experience, there are 100 or more converts out of the RCC for every evangelical convert into the RCC/EO. To think that the RCC/EO will benefit significantly from the evangelical decline is a bit over the top.

Wiredog

Posted: March 12, 2009 10:52 AM

The most glaring error Mr. Spencer, as well as the vast majority, makes is that he continually confuses terms used on the conservative Christian side. There is are distinct differences between 'evangelical' and 'fundamentalist', much as there are between 'Catholic,' 'Orthodox,' and 'Anglican.' It would make for much stronger dialog between groups if we all understood what each other were meaning. It would help if everyone read a few books about the subject, so as not to sound like a troglodyte when discussing religion. A good resource one could start with is Stephen Prothero’s book ‘Religious Literacy.’ Then continue with the books he lists in the index.

Tony Richie

Posted: March 12, 2009 9:16 AM

An excellent article that helps us to get a realistic perspective with a historical wisdom that transcends passing faith fads. Evangelicalism is a great movement, and I'm proud to be called an Evangelical (with a capital "E"!). It has offered an energetic antidote to all-too-often anemic forms of Christianity, those that "have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof". However, any idea that true, blue Christianity is entirely dependant upon any particular movement is heretical. It's only entirely dependant on Jesus Christ and on the Spirit of Christ!

Julie

Posted: March 12, 2009 9:04 AM


Very thoughtful, Mark.

Judith

Posted: March 12, 2009 6:50 AM

We are facing an unprecedented challenge to our religious freedom in this country--Catholic first, then the others will surely follow (in Germany the Jew first after much hate propaganda and then the others quickly followed them)--and we are still arguing among ourselves. Fill your lamps my people, forget your territorial boundaries and fight for Christ's right to be preached in the last great sanctuary for religion this world has left. The cultural, therapeutic, "you make me feel so good" churches will survive. They are not a threat to evil. The Christ-centered Church which preaches that irritating and disturbing insistence upon right and wrong, upon the absolutes which God has revealed to us in scripture, upon the cross, sin and justification, are already entering into persecution. If you will not help your brother at this time, do not help your brother's persecutor. The Bride of Christ is One and the walls of denomination are unknown in Heaven. May God have Mercy on His Body.

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