After reading a very alarming article online at the New York Times, I wonder what the Church in America can do moving forward. In her article entitled, "The Largest and Fastest Religious Shift in America is Well Underway," Jesssica Grose, quotes a new book which claims that we are "currently in the middle of the of the largest and fastest religious shift in the history of our country." Why? According to the book, 40 million people have stopped going to church. (See-"The Great Dechurching: Whose Leaving, Why are They Going and What Will it Take to Bring Them Back.") This book should be required reading for every pastor, lay leadership and bishop in the country.
As the authors (Davis, Graham and Burge) of the book put it, "No theological tradition, age group, ethnicity, political affiliation, education level, geographic location, or income bracket escaped the dechurching in America." The three men who wrote the book and did the research are pastors and they are concerned with bringing the unchurched back. But how will that be accomplished?
Thank God the church I attend is still crowded on Sunday mornings but the pastor recently admitted that some parishioners who left during the pandemic have still not returned. And obviously there are are more options today for spiritual growth....apps for meditation and spiritual reading. Some people have replaced going to church with spending time in Nature. There are endless youtube videos, some of which I watch regularly (Word on Fire is a great resource) which can help with religious growth and so some people just don't feel the need to go to Church.
So it is up to this generation of Catholics and other Christian churches to preserve the Church and Christianity. Are they up to the task, do they realize what is at stake? If the power of the Holy Spirit moves powerfully then this trend can reverse, but it will take a great outpouring of the Spirit on young people and young adults. And if and when it happens, it should not be shut down.
NJA
