{"id":22409,"date":"1995-04-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1995-04-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/1995\/04\/01\/to-verify-20\/"},"modified":"1995-04-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"1995-04-01T00:00:00","slug":"to-verify-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/to-verify-20\/","title":{"rendered":"To Verify"},"content":{"rendered":"

Approximate number of churches in the United States: 375,000<\/p>\n\n

Number with fewer than 50 in attendance: 100,000<\/p>\n\n

With more than 2,000 in attendance: 300<\/p>\n\n

Earth’s population: 5.6 billion<\/p>\n\n

Projected population in 35 years: 8.5 billion<\/p>\n\n

Percentage of American households with a Bible: 92<\/p>\n\n

Percentage of Americans who read the Bible outside religious services: 37<\/p>\n\n

Annually spent on lottery tickets in the 36 states operating lotteries: $24.4 billion<\/p>\n\n

On movie tickets in all 50 states: $8 billion<\/p>\n\n

Percentage of 1991 M.Div. students who graduated with no debts: 52<\/p>\n\n

Average percentage change in a woman’s standard of living the year following a divorce: -73<\/p>\n\n

Average percentage change in a man’s standard of living: +42<\/p>\n\n

Annual number of deaths worldwide of children under 5: 13,000,000<\/p>\n\n

Number resulting from malnourishment: 7,150,000<\/p>\n\n

Percentage of church members in the 1950s who grew up in another denomination: 4<\/p>\n\n

Percentage of today’s church members who did: 40<\/p>\n\n

Percentage of software in the U.S. that was legally acquired: 67<\/p>\n\n

Percentage of American children born out of wedlock in 1960: 5; In 1991: 30<\/p>\n\n

Sources:<\/p>\n\n

Attendance: Winning the Values War in a Changing Culture by Leith Anderson (Bethany House, 1994). Population: U.S. News & World Report, 8\/29-9\/5\/94. Bibles: Virtual America (The Barna Report 1994-95). Lottery\/movies: Christian Social Action, 7-8\/94. Seminary debts: The Christian Century, 2\/29\/94. Living standards after divorce: The Great Divide by Daniel Evan Weiss (Poseidon Press, 1991). Child deaths: UNICEF’S 1994 The Progress of the Nations. Denomination switching: The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing, 9\/22\/94, citing Net Results, 2\/93. Software piracy: PC Today, 9\/94. Nonwedlock births: ABC News “Nightline,” 9\/9\/94.<\/p>\n\n

Copyright (c) 1995 Christianity Today, Inc.\/LEADERSHIP Journal<\/p>\n\n

lespr95mrw5L20705426<\/p>\n\n

Copyright © 1995 by the author or Christianity Today\/Leadership Journal<\/em>.\nClick here<\/a> for reprint information on Leadership Journal<\/em>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Approximate number of churches in the United States: 375,000 Number with fewer than 50 in attendance: 100,000 With more than 2,000 in attendance: 300 Earth’s population: 5.6 billion Projected population in 35 years: 8.5 billion Percentage of American households with a Bible: 92 Percentage of Americans who read the Bible outside religious services: 37 Annually Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_books":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[154],"tax_ctp_field_guide_subcategory":[],"tax_ctp_field_guides":[],"tax_ctp_format":[131],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[643,156,645],"tax_ctp_tags":[4688,5074,5190],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-22409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tax_publications-1995-leadership-journal","tax_publications-leadership-journal","tax_publications-spring_1995-leadership-journal","tax_ctp_tags-preaching","tax_ctp_tags-statistics","tax_ctp_tags-trends"],"acf":{"scripture_references":null},"yoast_head":"\nTo Verify - CT Pastors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Approximate number of churches 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