Baylor University recently released a survey as part of their Institute for Studies of Religion. The survey is a summary of Americans' attitudes about God, churches, and spiritual issues. My boy Jmob talked about it briefly on his blog. He shared the following excerpt that I found intriguing:
“The survey spoke highly of the American megachurch, congregations of more than 1,000 that are often criticized for their impersonal nature. People who attend megachurches are far more conservative in their theology than are attendees of smaller churches, it said. Their members are also younger, they share their faith more with strangers, and they perform more volunteer work than do members of small churches.
“There are many critics who think the megachurches thrive on people who enjoy dramatic Sunday services with fine music but don’t wish to become very ‘religious’ on a day-to-day basis - that the megachurch appeal is a mile wide and an inch deep,” said “What Americans Really Believe,” a companion book to the survey.
“But it is not true. Those who belong to megachurches display as high a level of personal commitment as do those who attend small congregations.” Mr. Stark added, “Apparently they are preaching Jesus and that’s why they get so big.”
You can read the full article from the Washington times here and the Ft. Worth Star Telegram here. Check it out.
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