[Magdalen] Decline of U.S Christianity

[Jim Guthrie]

From: Zephonites--- via Magdalen

>How about the Pentecostals? Does this also affect them negatively or are
>they growing?

It's pretty much across-the-board as I read the report. But keep in mind that 
"Pentacostals" are usually beyond the understanding of most Mainline and RC 
people -- they work entirely differently. They'll start a church in a storefront 
of apartment, and if successful they grow enough to build a "real" church -- at 
which point everyone else notices them as conclude, "Gee those Pentecostals are 
really growing." But far more of these starts simply fail, and the person trying 
to lead/establish a church move on elsewhere. As there's no infrastructure for 
quite awhile after they're established, there's nothing to hold them in place.

>I ask this because I believe they are a significant force in South America
>and I was wondering how they are faring in the USA.

The study doesn’t cover them.

>How are the figures for TEC?

TEC is pretty much the same as everyone else, again as I read the PEW report.

Of course there are individual TEC parishes that have grown by leaps and bounds, 
and others that have fallen far more than the PEW averages. But those are local 
situations and depend on many factors, not the least of which are larger 
demographic/regional growth or loss) changes.

It should also be noted that actual participation does not seem to be measured 
in the report. Thus explains the fact that TEC has fewer than 2-million members, 
but take a poll and we find 6-million claim to be Episcopalians.

Though the PEW report indicates 70-million Americans claim to be Christians, 
other surveys indicate actual participation in about 30% or the claimed numbers 
overall. The last I heard, Roman Catholic ASA is about 21% of those they claim 
as members.

Cheers,
Jim