{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Church Answers","provider_url":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com","title":"The Realignment of Churches in America | Church Answers","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"uVLXDfwSjt\"><a href=\"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/the-realignment-of-churches-in-america\/\">The Realignment of Churches in America<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/the-realignment-of-churches-in-america\/embed\/#?secret=uVLXDfwSjt\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;The Realignment of Churches in America&#8221; &#8212; Church Answers\" data-secret=\"uVLXDfwSjt\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lots-of-people-all-holding-blocks-spelling-out-church_Thom_120424.png","thumbnail_width":1200,"thumbnail_height":628,"description":"It isn\u2019t just a political realignment taking place in America. There is also a profound realignment of churches. For most of our nation\u2019s history, we have categorized churches into two broad categories: denominational and nondenominational. It was neat, easy, and comfortable. If you were a Christian, you were connected to a church in one of two major groups. The labels fit nicely. Then, in the denominational category, we had two main groups: mainline and \u201cother\u201d (not all churches in this latter category considered themselves \u201cevangelical\u201d). There was also the assumption, mostly correct, that the mainline churches were declining and the \u201cother\u201d churches were not. Those assumptions do not hold today. Mainline churches are not just declining; they are rapidly declining. In 1970, mainline churches accounted for 30% of the U. S. population with about 62 million members. By 2000, the mainline percentage was cut in half to 16% of the U. S. population or 34.5 million members. Mainline church membership in 2024 is about 33 million. Frankly, that\u2019s a generous estimate, and attendance estimates today are dismal. We who were in non-mainline churches were often comforted that we were reaching people with the gospel and growing numerically. Not so fast, my friend. Most denominations today are declining. For example, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination, has dropped from its peak membership of 16.3 million in 2006 to under 13 million today. Average attendance has declined commensurately. In fact, it is difficult to find a growing denomination in America today. One of them is the Assemblies of God, which grew from 2.6 million adherents in 2000 to almost 3.0 million adherents today. Another exception is the Presbyterian Church in America, which has grown by 28% since 2000. However, the PCA is not a large denomination, and the fast growth rate is predicated on a relatively small membership of just under 400,000 members. This excursion brings me back to my primary point. We are not looking at the dynamics of American churches correctly if we simply look at denominational churches and nondenominational churches. The times have changed. A realignment is taking place before our eyes."}