Barna Research President: 1 in 5 Churches Facing Permanent Closure Within 18 Months Due to COVID Shutdowns
Pastor Dewey Moede
Photo of Bethany Lutheran Church Near Bergen, Minnesota from Bob Hanson. This is the Church my Grandpa and Grandma, Floyd and Lean Caraway attended. I attended Church with them there a few times. Such a lovely Church. I miss Grandma and Grandpa greatly. They helped raise me up to be a preacher, it took me years, but I am here! Grandma spoke over me in 1974 that I would be a preacher! Glory!
We must be in prayer for the Churches in America! The Christian Post is reporting:
As many as one in five churches could permanently close as a result of shutdowns stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, according to David Kinnaman, president of the prominent Christian research organization Barna Group.
In an interview with NPR Monday regarding the status of American churches after months of shutdowns, Kinnaman said although churches were handling things “pretty swimmingly” at first, circumstances have changed for some.
I asked Pastor Paul Holt one of my mentors in life, who is the Pastor of First Baptist Church in Magdalena, New Mexico his thoughts on this:
The author doesn’t understand the issues correctly. The churches that are closing down are the ones that have moved away from scripture and are ashamed of the gospel.
Meanwhile, many of those churches are not in sound financial shape to weather the storm.
At our business meeting last night, we saw we were in the black over the summer.
Praise the Lord for His wisdom and direction. Empty preaching leads to an empty Church.
Thank you Pastor Paul for your thoughts.
From Pastor and FGGAM writer Pastor Jerry McCullah who is also am mentor of mine:
Political correctness says, “I shouldn’t say anything that offends another, even if what I say is true.”
Narcissism says, “God exists for my benefit, and should be willing to be manipulated by me for my wishes.”
False preachers and church members profane God by trying to bring Him down to their level, contemptuous of His holiness.
A true disciple says, “I am nothing without God. I exist for His pleasure. I will speak His truth in His love regardless of consequences. I live in holiness to bring glory to Him.”
