Category: Pastor’s Life

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

Post author By andy.rowell
Post date October 26, 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

https://faithcommunitiestoday.org/fact-2020-survey/

"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."

Six-in-ten U.S. congregants (61%) say they have at least “a fair amount” of confidence in their religious leaders to provide reliable guidance about getting a COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/pdNk2dUlna pic.twitter.com/tkoISFoVfP
— Pew Research Religion (@PewReligion) October 22, 2021

"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.

New Aug. 17–Sept. 15, 2021 survey of 1,576 evangelical and Black Protestant pastors. https://t.co/oSIjjfnXMO
— Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) October 26, 2021

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

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

Post author By andy.rowell
Post date June 1, 2021

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:

On why dieting and exercise and trying to look good and be fit and thin may not have as much to do with excellence as having a paunch, serving others, taking walks, and eating meals with people.
— Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) January 18, 2021

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

Leadership Pastor's Life

Pastoral transition

Post author By andy.rowell
Post date May 4, 2021

Thread on pastoral transition:

I've had 28 Pastor friends resign this year. Almost all of them are transitioning to a new vocation.

What is occurring?
— Dan White Jr. (@danwhitejr) May 2, 2021

In August 2020, 51% of Protestant pastors rated their emotional well-being as average, below average, or poor.

This is lower than their spiritual, physical, financial, vocational, and relational self-assessments. https://t.co/49R9n0XgD8 @BarnaGroup @davidkinnaman pic.twitter.com/ojRUy0JCtp
— Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) September 2, 2020

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

Thread of pep talk to pastors:
(a) struggling with the difficult of decision-making amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic,
(b) seeing high profile Christians act nothing like Jesus,
(c) with members snippy and outraged about our world,
(d) missing wholesome social interaction:
— Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) August 31, 2020

Such a great question. @drjoshpackard and I have conducted research on this. A book is coming April 2022 from @Fortresspress. "Stuck: Why Clergy are alienated from their calling, congregation, and career."
— Todd Ferguson (@toddwferguson) May 3, 2021

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