As the voting members of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) heads to Orlando for this year’s Annual Meeting, one thing on their mind is the fight over women in church leadership. One of their two major factions is itching for that fight to turn into a denominational civil war—again. Yes, Read more
For a long time, I’ve been watching the shakeups going on in the world of AAA video games. It’s impossible not to draw some parallels with Christianity’s decline in America! But a few days ago, a game developer (or “dev”) offered advice that stopped me in my tracks. It was Read more
For years now, I’ve said that Christianity wouldn’t exist today if it weren’t for its leaders grabbing and wielding legal powers of coercion 1800 years ago, then protecting it with everything they had. In recent decades, secular governments have been peeling away those powers bit by bit. But amid more Read more
You know it’s summer when we finally see our first SBC metrics drop! Last time we met up, I showed you some details of those metrics from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)—and how those figures paint the picture of a struggling, rapidly-polarizing behemoth entering its managed-decline phase. But as we’ll Read more
Modern Christians may know that their ideal is having faith without any need for proof, but in their hearts they want good reasons to believe. For evangelicals, that tension is particularly intense: Their version of Christianity involves a very active, involved deity—but our world doesn’t show any signs of that Read more
In Alpha Course #12, its creators share how newly-converted Christians can make the most of the rest of their lives. But they’re not actually that great at it. Today, let’s check out their suggestions—and wonder together if, indeed, one could build a meaningful life out of them. (This post and Read more
On April 13, 2026, Baptist Press announced that Evan Lenow would be the new president of their beleaguered Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). They’ve struggled for years to find one that seems to satisfy them, but this time the candidate might last more than a few years. That’s because Read more
As the decline of Christianity continues ever onward, let’s visit some beloved evangelical myths about how and why a small church grows—or withers on the vine. This goes far past what we talked about recently regarding church economics! The reality is far more pedestrian, of course, but it’s also something Read more
Churches have long been mainstays of American culture, particularly in smaller towns. But of late, churches have become a losing proposition for pastors. More and more of them are struggling to handle rising operational costs, not to mention dwindling membership. The worse Christianity’s decline gets, the more obvious it becomes Read more
Even before evangelicals realized they were in a full decline, they pushed hard on the idea of the offense of the gospel. This is the idea that somehow, their religion’s message massively offends normies. But ‘the gospel’ isn’t offensive at all. It’s evangelism that is offensive, and evangelicals have no Read more