First, We Need More People to Leave the Church

15% of Americans now claim no religious affiliation. (Newsweek: The Decline and Fall of Christian America - April 13, 2009 )This is an increase from 8% in 1990. You can wring your hands and ask, "What are we going to do," or you can face the facts that churches ignored in Barna's 2001 research that indicated the lack of biblical literacy. The lack of Christian knowledge proclaimed from the pulpit and taught in churches was destined to result in a decline in religious affiliation.

Understand and remember this:

Biblical illiteracy is the disease that results in the symptoms our churches and our society are now trying to deal with.

You can fix a civil symptom (gay marriage) with legislation and you can fix a church symptom (low church attendance) with a program (free doughnuts), but the disease of biblical illiteracy will still be eating away at the soul of your churches and society.

In 2001 researcher George Barna told us that America was immersed in a crisis of biblical illiteracy. At that time half of incoming freshman in college who called themselves Protestants could not list Moses, Isaac, King Saul and the Babylonian exile in chronological order. It was at this same time the most familiar Bible verse was:

God helps those who help themselves.

The above "Bible verse" is not a Bible verse. Here are some examples from Barna's 2001 research that flashed the big yellow warning lights telling us people would soon consider our religion irrelevant:

• Mainline denominational churches: 35% believe Jesus was sinless and 34% believe the Bible is totally accurate.
• Conservative churches: 55% believe Jesus was sinless and 66% believe the Bible is totally accurate.
• Non-denominational churches: 63% believe Jesus was sinless and 70% believe the Bible is totally accurate.
  

Here is an interesting thought. If pastors would start teaching the Word of God those numbers would go up. Guaranteed!

1. First, if the people heard the truth they could then believe the truth which would increase the percentage of people in the church who believe that Jesus was sinless and the Bible is accurate.
   
2. Or, second, if the people heard the truth they could reject the truth and leave the church which would also increase the percentage of people in the church who believe that Jesus was sinless and the Bible is accurate.

In other words, we do not have enough people leaving the church yet! Let's get started!!

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com