On February 26, 2025, the New York Times published an article, “One Nation Under God,” written by Lauren Jackson and based on findings reported by the Pew Research Center.
In his 2003 book Losing Our Religion, evangelical preacher Russell Moore asked, “Can American Christianity survive?” The answer is: “Yes!” Despite the pandemic and rampant secularization, spirituality is on the rise.
In the long history of the Judeo-Christian movement, there have been many “ups and downs.” As the Israelites fled from Egypt, it wasn’t always a smooth adventure. There were seasons of amazing trust in God and moments of doubt, fear, and challenges among God’s people. The history of Israel is the biblical story of faith, on the one hand, and spiritual weakness on the other. At the time when Jesus walked this earth, there were disciples and detractors. Saul persecuted Christians in the name of his “old-time religion” only to emerge as a sold-out follower of Jesus in the face of persecution, jail, and execution.
There are many places around the globe that were previously devoid of the influence of Jesus Christ. Years later, Christianity flourished in these same areas. Further, there has been a decline of spirituality in these same areas. Over time, there is often a resurgence of faith.
Have you ever wondered about the spiritual “roller coaster ride” of the Judeo-Christian movement? What occurs? You can’t blame God, can you? So, what is the human factor? How can Christ-followers become part of the solution? What is your own congregation’s track record for faith? Is your church growing? Plateaued? Aging? Declining? What is God saying to you, and what are you going to do about it?
Observing Reality
The Pew Research Center provides some interesting insights, as reported by the New York Times.
The share of US adults who…
- Believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to a physical body: 86%
- Have faith in God or a universal spirit: 82%
- Feel there is something spiritual beyond the natural world: 79%
- Believe in an afterlife (heaven, hell, or both): 70%
- Reflect one or more of the above: 92%
As this report was being written, I had just watched the first cabinet meeting of the Donald Trump presidency (February 26, 2025). It was a meeting that began with prayer. Perhaps you also have observed and wonder: “When Trump took a bullet that nearly killed him, did his commitment to faith change?”
The New York Times article reports, “The United States is an outlier compared with most other western countries, which are far less religious. America’s persistent religious and spiritual curiosity is visible in its centers of power. In Washington, President Trump and J.D. Vance talk a lot about God in their quest to remake America.”
This article continues, “In Silicon Valley, tech billionaires—long obsessed with religion—adjacent projects like artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and immortality—are warming to Christianity.”
Previous Losses
According to the New York Times article, “Over the last 25 years, tens of millions of people have left American religion. It was a shift that affected how people voted, when they married, and where they lived. Christians took the hardest hit: around 15 percent of American adults who once went to church stopped going. While some people switched to new faiths, many left religion altogether.”
Yet, the New York Times reports that the Pew Research group found people are no longer leaving churches in great numbers.
Observations About Churches
Church Doctor Ministries has consulted hundreds of American and Canadian churches over the last 30 years. We have also trained church leaders in numerous countries around the world. Our in-depth diagnosis reveals some key elements of church health and vitality that are often overlooked. They can be generally described as issues of substance and/or style.
The substance of the Christian faith is basic. Whenever Christianity has flourished and effectively reached unbelievers, there is a close adherence to the teachings of Scripture. This is reflective of the New Testament church.
However, some churches—and whole denominations—have fallen into the trap of syncretism. This occurs when church leaders focus on “syncing up” with dominant cultural trends that are not reflective of biblical truth. Among some church leaders, the temptation is to “water down” challenging biblical realities. This approach diminishes the power of God’s Word.
Congregations that practice syncretism gut the power of Scripture. The leaders are under the false assumption that adherence to biblical teaching works against the congregation’s ability to draw—and keep—new believers. In truth, this approach works against their effectiveness to reach—and keep—church members. Think of it as removing the “backbone” of the faith.
On the other side of church decline is what might be called “dead orthodoxy.” This reflects perpetuating forms and delivery systems that are “leftovers” from ancient times. These practices communicate that God is “old” and “out-of-date.” It reflects a faith focused on style, not substance.
The incarnation of Jesus—who showed up looking like the people He was reaching at that time of history—is God’s plan to reach people in their context. Jesus spoke their language, dressed like them, and connected with them.
When the European Christians brought the Christian faith to North America, for example, they built facilities with pews and bell towers. They used old language forms such as “thee” and “thy.” This approach is in direct contrast to the incarnation of Jesus: He comes in the flesh, fitting into the culture of those He was reaching.
This is the issue of form and substance. The truth of Scripture—the substance—is nonnegotiable. The form—the delivery system—should fit the “heart language” of the people. In my next blog, I will address the resurgence of religious conservatism.
Dr. Kent Hunter is the founder of Church Doctor Ministries, a mission to help local churches renew, revive, and thrive. He is the author of Who Broke My Church? 7 Proven Strategies for Renewal and Revival. He has written more than 40 books aimed at helping Christians to renew the Christian movement and reach our world for Jesus.