Andy Rowell

Category: Pastor’s Life

  • New sociological research reports on churches and pastors in the United States in October 2021.

    New sociological research reports on churches in the United States in October 2021. See thread below.

    "only 34% of faith communities grew by 5% or
    more between 2015 and 2020 – which means an average of 1% growth per year."
    Scott Thumma – Faith Communities Today – Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford Seminary. Oct 14, 2021

    FACT 2020 Survey Results

    "26% of U.S. adults say they have attended religious services in person in the last month (prior to when the survey was conducted, Sept. 20-26, 2021). This is up from 17% who reported having attended in person as of March 2021, and from 13% in July 2020."

    "Empty Pews Are an American Public Health Crisis
    Americans are rapidly giving up on church. Our minds and bodies will pay the price."
    TYLER J. VANDERWEELE AND BRENDAN CASE
    OCTOBER 19, 2021
    https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/november/church-empty-pews-are-american-public-health-crisis.html
    They cite Barna Group twice without a link to the source. Not good.

    Brendan Case says they are citing this March 4, 2020 Barna Group report.

    Signs of Decline & Hope Among Key Metrics of Faith

    I'm adding to this thread of October 2021 sociological research on churches, this new August-September survey of pastors.

    Originally tweeted by Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) on October 22, 2021.

  • No, the key thing to being a church leader is not looking good.

    It has dawned on me lately that according to some "church leadership" experts, the #1 most important thing for a leader, is to have a great physical appearance. This is contrary to the message of the Bible. It is heresy. It is a toxic lie.

    This is described as being "fit" or "healthy" but it becomes clear how much time and money is spent on gyms, personal trainers, food, clothes, watches, jewelry, makeup, and cars.

    It should not need to be said for anyone who has read the Bible, but people with an obsession with outward appearance (1 Sam 16:7, 1 Tim 2:9), physical training (4:8), clothes (Matt 6:25), money (19:24), or asceticism with regard to food (Rom 14:20), are fools who destroy others.

    The person fixated on their appearance cannot live in proximity to the poor. And they have no time for hospitality, for reading, or for serving others. Eating and drinking with others challenges their diet discipline and is awkward so they eventually stop eating with others.

    Read the Bible and see if the emphasis is on being physically fit and disciplined or whether the Messiah "had no beauty to attract us to him" (Isa 53:2), Jesus was called a glutton (Matt 11:19; Luke 7:34), and Paul said to accept food when it is offered to you (1 Cor 10:25-27).

    Here is a similar thread by me from January:

    Originally tweeted by Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) on June 1, 2021.

  • Pastoral transition

    Thread on pastoral transition:

    https://twitter.com/edstetzer/status/1387542242961678340
    29% of Pastors Want to Quit: How to Keep Going When You’ve Lost Confidence In Yourself.
    CNLP 382: William Vanderbloemen on Why 2021 Will Be the Year So Many People Quit and Future Staffing Trends
    https://twitter.com/toddwferguson/status/1389189527386873857

    Originally tweeted by Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) on May 4, 2021.