Separately, evangelical researchers Thom and Sam Rainer concluded, “Most churches are dwindling. Most denominations are not growing. The population in the United States is exploding… the church is losing ground. We are in a steep state of decline.”

I thought the concepts in the book were so important that we did a 4-part message series on it at our church called Meltdown: The Decline of the American Church.Part 1 – Smaller Than We ThinkPart 2 – Revenue ReductionPart 3 – People Are LeavingPart 4 (Clayton Walker) – We Aren’t Reaching New People

In The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church, Christine Wicker writes, “Evangelical Christianity in America is dying. The great evangelical movements of today are not a vanguard. They are a remnant, unraveling at every edge. Look at it any way you like: Conversions. Baptisms. Membership. Retention. Participation. Giving. Attendance. Religious literacy. Effect on culture. All are down and dropping. It’s no secret…”