Growing number of Americans moving away from Christianity: report
‘Coffee & Bible Time’ podcast hosts Ellen Krause, Taylor Krause and Ashley Armijo react to Christians facing backlash from Hollywood and discuss a Pew research poll showing a growing number of Americans are rejecting Christianity.
The largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S. continued its downward trend as it hemorrhaged more than 100 churches and 53,000 members while losing 285 ministers last year, according to statistics released this week.
The liberal Presbyterian Church (USA) (PCUSA) went from approximately 1.193 million members to approximately 1.14 million members over the past year, while the number of member churches declined from 8,813 in 2021 to 8,705, according to the data.
The numbers mark a steep drop from when the denomination boasted nearly 2.5 million members in 2000.
"We are not surprised by the numbers we are seeing," the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, II, the PCUSA's stated clerk, said in a statement Monday. "While the pandemic may be over, the impact on church membership is still being felt."
CONSERVATIVE PRESBYTERIANS LAY OUT WHY MAINLINE COUSINS ARE LOSING MEMBERS: ‘SUPERNATURAL BATTLE’
A Black Lives Matter flag adorns the headquarters of the Louisville, Kentucky-based Presbyterian Church (USA), which has lost approximately 700,000 members since 2012. (Credit: Google Earth)
"In the midst of the lower numbers, we continue to find encouragement in that new worshiping communities are still on the increase. We have added more than 20 in the past year, bringing our total to 267."
"The challenge for the PC(USA) remains the same: Look for new ways to engage and welcome young people into the fold. These are dramatic and fast-changing times," Nelson continued.
"Our world is changing, and the church needs to meet the growing needs of people who are finding themselves at a crossroads. We need to remind them that Jesus Christ is still in our midst and that means finding new, innovative ways to be church."
Community members celebrate the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality at an event hosted by Texas for Marriage at the Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Austin, Texas, on June 26, 2015. (Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images)
The statistics also tracked reported professions of faith made by young people, which rose from 5,708 in 2021 to 7,041 in 2022.
CHRISTIANITY QUICKLY DIMINISHING IN US, ON PACE TO BECOME MINORITY RELIGION IN DECADES: STUDY
Conservative Presbyterians who spoke to Fox News Digital last fall laid partial blame for the mainline denomination's decline on what they described as a departure from its historical biblical teachings.
Lake View Presbyterian Church hangs a pride flag in support of Gay Pride Week on June 23, 2020, in Chicago. (Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)
The denomination made headlines in October when its Office of General Assembly announced that it would be adding a "nonbinary/genderqueer" option to its official church statistics in a push to be "inclusive," according to a press release.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"I believe that the lampstand has been removed, that Christ has removed his blessing from the PCUSA, and the end result of that will be just fading into oblivion," Zachary Groff, a Presbyterian pastor in Greenville, South Carolina, told Fox News Digital, referencing the second chapter of Revelation.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
