The Coming Evangelical Collapse

[Palatka51]

An anti-Christian chapter in Western history is about to begin. But out of the ruins, a new vitality and integrity will rise.

By Michael Spencer

from the March 10, 2009 edition

Oneida, Ky. - We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.

Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.

This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.

Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline. I'm convinced the grace and mission of God will reach to the ends of the earth. But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close.

The "Great Falling Away" is in the making.

 

[Priscilla Ann]

Part of the problem with evangelicals (and I am one) is that in recent years, they have aligned themselves with the Republican Party. This has not been good for religion or politics (example: the 2008 election). We should focus on speading the gospel, and not use God to promote a political agenda.

 

[Palatka51]

Part of the problem with evangelicals (and I am one) is that in recent years, they have aligned themselves with the Republican Party. This has not been good for religion or politics (example: the 2008 election). We should focus on speading the gospel, and not use God to promote a political agenda.

If godly men and women do not hold our representatives responsible they will have no moral compass at all. We had better be promoting a political agenda. The Bible is full of examples of godly men and women that stood up against kings, emperors and governors; Moses, Esther, Nathan, Samuel, John the Baptist, Paul just among a few.

 

[Eric B]

Interesting.
He's obviously somehow connected or influenced by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals (Michael Horton, etc, which previously put out a book entitled The Coming Evangelical Crisis, saying some of the same things). But he also seems to advocate the house church movement.

 

[Priscilla Ann]

If godly men and women do not hold our representatives responsible they will have no moral compass at all. We had better be promoting a political agenda. The Bible is full of examples of godly men and women that stood up against kings, emperors and governors; Moses, Esther, Nathan, Samuel, John the Baptist, Paul just among a few.

You are absolutely correct. But Christ must come first, and non-Christians are watching our attitudes and behavior, even as we hold others accountable. Non-Christians should see Christ in us, so our attitude must be one of love and genuine concern for others.

 

[billwald]

>But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close.

"Who is 'we,' Kemosabe?" Not the end of Evangelical Christianity. Red China has more evangelical Christians than any other country in the world. God is done with his western Church. He no longer needs it.

On the other hand, the age of the W/M/WASP is over. Maybe Eastern Christianity will send us missionaries in the next few decades.

 

[Matt Black]

Re the OP - it's already happening over here.

 

[FriendofSpurgeon]

Interesting. Didn't Schaeffer talk about this in the 1970's?? Here is a quote from him ---

“I believe that pluralistic secularism, in the long run, is a more deadly poison than straightforward persecution”

He's probably right.

 

[Matt Black]

Meanwhile, Christianity will continue to flourish in the Third World; African evangelicals are already sending missionaries to the UK to re-evangelise us.