The Evangelical Identity Crisis - Part I

"If the divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are the worst. Of all created beings the wickedest is one who originally stood in the immediate presence of God." CS Lewis

We are in the midst of an evangelical identity crisis which has the potential to reshape the face of "Christianity" to a degree that has not been seen since Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. We are left to try and tread water in the wake of the 1980's formation of the Religious Right which ushered in the modern-day phenomenon of the mega-church, and framed political platforms as doctrinal truths upon which hung the eternal destinies of individuals and countries.

Evidence of this identity crisis is easy to find:

The children of the leaders of the 1980's evangelical movement are now middle-aged adults many of whom, rather than carrying on the message and legacy of their famous fathers, are speaking out against the hypocrisy they saw first-hand. Individuals like Frank Schaeffer, son of the late Francis and Edith Schaeffer, who has become a darling of the liberal left for his books denouncing not only the Religious Right but many of it's hallowed leaders. The adult son of Jimmy and Tammy Faye Baker, Jim Baker, who now holds "church" in a New York bar room, adorned in full sleeve tats, jeans and leather jacket.

The emergence of the "Emergent Church" with prolific leaders like Brian MacLaren challenging some of the very foundational tenets of fundamentalism and evangelicalism.

The public humiliation and fall from grace of leaders of many of the largest, mega-churches. While it's not necessary to name them; sadly it seems its only a matter of time before a new casualty appears in the headlines and on Good Morning America; yet another public trophy for the liberal left to hoist in the air, much as the heads of the French revolutionaries were mounted on stakes for public display.

The alarming statistics which show that the divorce rate inside the "born again" circle is the same as the divorce rate outside the shadow of the steeple. (In fact, when evangelicals and non-evangelical born again Christians are combined into an aggregate class of born again adults, their divorce figure is statistically identical to that of non-born again adults: 32% versus 33%, respectively.) Barna Research Group

The exodus of women from Evangelical churches (22% drop since 1991 according to the Barna Research Group)

The latest research from the Pew Forum confirms what the anecdotal evidence points to:

"The Landscape Survey confirms that the United States is on the verge of becoming a minority Protestant country; the number of Americans who report that they are members of Protestant denominations now stands at barely 51%. Moreover, the Protestant population is characterized by significant internal diversity and fragmentation, " (The Pew Forum: US Religious Landscape Survey, January 16, 2011)

Is it a coincidence that as the "aging Baby Boomers" hit mid-life and the inevitable "mid-life crisis" it may bring, that we are seeing a collective identity crisis in our spiritual practices?

Perhaps an identity crisis is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps it is a sign of maturity, growth and wisdom to be asking questions, rather than assuming we have all the answers. Perhaps this uncomfortable, turbulent period when the tectonic plates we have always stood securely on seem to be shifting beneath us, will cause us to embark on our own search for truth rather than accept cleverly marketed cliches from the arbiters of mega-church culture.

Perhaps the evangelical identity crisis will force us to do what the Scriptures instructed over 2,000 years ago: "work out your own salvation in fear and trembling..." Philippians 2:12

Perhaps...

Question: What do you think regarding the "evangelical identity crisis?" Is it a positive or negative phenomenon?

Snowdays and Second Chances

Today, as I wandered into the aftermath of the first Nor'Easter of 2011 and the icy cold wind took my breath away, I listened to the snow crunching under my boots and laughed as I thought of all my mature, "adult" friends who were posting cheers all over Facebook for the snowfall. We may be the "aging Baby Boomers" but we are not so old that the words "snow day" can't still get our heart pounding and blood racing!


I was laughing because I was thinking of how in a few weeks, instead of cheering and marveling, we will all be commiserating over the exact same event. But today, today it was new. Today it was the first one. Today, we woke up in an enchanted land where everything looked different. Today, I was filled with memories of childhood growing up in New England snowstorms, sledding, and building snowmen and warming up with hot chocolate.


And so today, as I walked through the almost reverential hush that only a snowstorm can bring, I whispered a prayer of thanks for a God whose "mercies are new every morning." Today, I embraced this first snowstorm and let it remind me that God's grace and mercies cover my ugliest mistakes and bring a blanket of beauty that is "whiter than snow."

What's Wrong With This Picture?

"Blessed art thou, O God, for not making me a Gentile, slave, or woman." (Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Menachot)

According to The Barna Group, a recent survey of 603 "Christian" women over the age of 18 revealed that:

81% of the women polled, say that their church provides women with the same degree of leadership opportunities as Jesus would.

While I respect much of the work of The Barna Group, they have come under scrutiny and criticism regarding this particular survey methodology. Let me try to paint by number here to give an accurate picture of women in Protestant Churches in the US.

According to research by The Barna Group, there are up to 13 million more Christian women than Christian men in the United States.

Citing women as the "spiritual heavyweights," the Barna Group found they were:
57 percent more likely to attend an adult Sunday school class.
56 percent more likely to hold a leadership position. (not senior pastors)
54 percent more likely to join a small group.

70-80% of the Christian book market are...you guessed it...women (according to Michael Hyatt, Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Now, compare that picture to the fact that, less than 5% of Senior Pastorate positions in Protestant churches are held by women. ("Why Men Hate Going To Church" by David Murrow)

So, to summarize, while women make up more than 50% of church volunteer staffs and Christian education students and more than 70% of the Christian book market, less than 5% of Senior Pastorate positions are held by women.

What's wrong with this picture? (aside from the fact that the survey methodology was biased) It does not fit the Scriptural example painted by Christ throughout his ministry. It does not match the New Testament picture of the Early Church (even given the fact that the culture at that time was horribly oppressive with regards to women).

Jesus came for one purpose: to reconcile lost humanity with a loving creator. He didn't do it the way the religious elite thought he should. Every single interaction he had with a woman ascribed value and communicated empowerment in a culture where women were constantly devalued and kept in subservience. His purpose was not to be a revolutionary, however his life revolutionized the world. Perhaps its time to color outside the lines. Perhaps it's time to paint a different picture.