Go Figure

Persecution

Number of Christian martyrs every 24 hours:

1900s: 90

'70s: 1,030

'00s: 440

2011: 270*

2025: 410*

* projected

Source: Status of Global Mission, International Bulletin of Missionary Research

Church Life

1,600: Christian denominations worldwide in 1900.

18,800: In 1970.

42,000: In 2011.

400,000: Christian congregations worldwide in 1900.

1,433,000: In 1970.

3,500,000: In 2011.

Source: Status of Global Mission, International Bulletin of Missionary Research

Discipleship

5%: Among Christians who are involved in a church, those who say their church holds them accountable.

7%: Small-group attenders who say accountability is one of the functions fulfilled by their group.

Source: Barna Research

Celebrity

Protestant pastors who think the following are Christians:

Barack Obama: 23% of pastors who are Republicans, 80% of pastors who are Democrats.

Glenn Beck: 24% of pastors who are Republicans, 37% of pastors who are Democrats.

Source: Lifeway Research

Islam

23.4%: Global population that is Muslim.

26.4%: The world's Muslim population in 2030, if trends continue.

0.8%: U.S. population that is Muslim. It is projected to be 1.7% in 2030.

400,000: Christian congregations worldwide in 1900.

1,433,000: In 1970.

3,500,000: In 2011.

Source: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

Economy

Church Foreclosures in the U.S.

2006: 2

2007:9

2008: 24

2009: 61

2010:96

Source: CoStar Group, NPR

71%: Megachurch pastors who said in April-May 2010 the economy is having a minimal impact on their church and its ministries.

58%: Megachurch pastors who said this in October 2010.

Source: Leadership Network

15%: Pastors of megachurches (2000+ attendance) who say offerings decreased between 2009 and 2010.

34%: Protestant pastors overall who said, in a separate survey, that offerings were down.

39%: In a third survey, churches overall who reported a decline in giving in 2010 from 2009.

Source: Leadership Network, Lifeway Research, State of the Plate

Technology

22%: Protestant churches that do not have a website.

42%: Of Protestant churches with websites, those that update them monthly or less often.

Source: Lifeway Research

Education

13%: Public high school biology teachers who explicitly advocate creationism in the classroom.

28%: Public high school biology teachers who explicitly advocate Darwinian evolution in the classroom.

Source: New York Times/Science

Youth

48%: American teens who say they "can think of a specific time recently when my religious beliefs actually changed the way I behaved."

34%: American teens who believe all religions teach equally valid truths.

65%: American teens who agreed that "when it comes to matters of morals and ethics, truth means different thingsto different people; no one can be absolutely positive that they have the truth."

Source: One Hope's "Spiritual State of Children"

Family

47%: American teenswho say they frequently feel proud of their father.

61%: American teens who say they frequently feel proud of their mother.

Source: One Hope's "Spiritual State of Children"

Theology

91%: British evangelicals who strongly agree that Jesus is the only way to God.

75%: British non-evangelicals who strongly agree.

Source: Evangelical Alliance/Christian Research"

Note: This online article combines "Go Figure" items from the February, March, and April 2001 issues of Christianity Today, as well as items that did not appear in the print magazine.