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• Worldwide there are approximately 6,500,000 churches. (1)
• The number of Protestant churches in the US is approximately 350,000. (2) • Four out of five churches are plateaued or declining in membership! (3) • The 2000 median of 90 adult attenders is down 10% from the 1997 average of 100 attenders, and 12% from 1992 (102 adult attenders). (4) • One in every three pastors will leave the ministry before completing five years in the pastorate; 70% have no one they consider a close friend. (5) • In a typical week, about 40% of the people sitting in the pews of Christian churches are not born again. (6) • 57% of adults said they do not have a lot of confidence in Christian churches. (7) • Christians are now more likely to divorce than non-Christians. Among born-agains, 27% are currently or have previously been divorced - compared to 24% among adults who are not born again.
• Leadership (8) • Nearly one out of four Americans (23%) are interested in being trained to become a more effective leader. (1998) • Only 2% of the senior pastors of charismatic churches said they have the spiritual gift of leadership. • The types of pastors least likely to last for a prolonged term in a given church are those with the spiritual gift of leadership.
• Relatively few pastors (5%) say they are gifted as leaders. Only 3% of all senior pastors claim they have the gifts of leadership and teaching.
Sources:
(1) World Christian Encyclopedia
(2) John C. LaRue, Jr., Christianity Today Int'l
(3) Win Arn, "Is Your Church in a Mid-Life Crisis?" in The Win Arn Growth Report, Number 7, p. 1
(4) Barna Research Group, Ltd.
(5) Fernando Garzon, "Leaders on the Verge of Burnout," Ministries Today magazine, 07/98
(6) Barna Research Group, Ltd.
(7) Ibid
(8) Ibid
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