Evangelical decline, absorption, and extinction

Evangelical Church Service (Gateway, by Jared Stump)

Do evangelicals face extinction or at least decline? Notice the following:

Is the Death of Evangelical Christianity Imminent?…

.

Pastor John S. Dickerson, {is} a 30-year-old evangelical leader who is sounding the alarm to his fellow believers… the pastor outlines his views on current societal trends and what they could mean for the future of Christianity in America. Of 2012, he wrote, “It hasn’t been a good year for evangelicals. I should know. I’m one of them.” To understand what he means in making this statement, here’s a recap of how Dickerson views the current scenario:

.

In 2012 we witnessed a collapse in American evangelicalism. The old religious right largely failed to affect the Republican primaries, much less the presidential election. Last month, Americans voted in favor of same-sex marriage in four states, while Florida voters rejected an amendment to restrict abortion…

In 2011 the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life polled church leaders from around the world. Evangelical ministers from the United States reported a greater loss of influence than church leaders from any other country — with some 82 percent indicating that their movement was losing ground.

As for the reason for this decline, the preacher is able to narrow it down in a few simple words: “Structural supports of evangelicalism are quivering as a result of ground-shaking changes in American culture.”

Rather than failing as an institution based on its core tenets, evangelicalism has simply not adjusted to the quickly-shifting societal sands, Dickerson argues…Among the challenges facing evangelical churches, Dickerson notes five monumentally-important issues: declining church attendance, a donation crisis (older evangelicals who once gave large sums are aging), failure to adopt to social changes on issues like gay marriage, a dearth in the ability to use its power to achieve conversions and a youth that is decreasingly interested in faith and church… http://www.theblaze.com/stories/is-the-death-of-evangelical-christianity-imminent-5-monumental-issues-facing-the-movement/

Evangelicals claim to believe the Bible, and their position on subjects like homosexual marriage and abortion should be consistent with the Bible. Otherwise, those of that persuasion will find that their members will leave and that some will be absorbed in other groups, including the Roman and Orthodox Catholics.

Notice something that was recently in an email newsletter:

The ecumenical movement continues to seek the unity of apostate churches in fulfillment of the prophesied one-world religion. In a recent article by former protestant, Keith Fournier, who has been ordained as a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church, he said the two lungs of Christ’s Church must breathe together again in the Third millennium as they did in the First Millennium. On November 12, the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of St Josaphat, a 17th century Eastern Catholic Bishop who poured himself out in imitation of Christ so that the Church would once again be one. Josaphat has been referred to as the “thief of souls”. Fournier said this about Josaphat: “I propose that heroic man was in fact plundering hell itself! He said, “I pray daily for the full communion of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches because I believe it is the will of God that ‘All May be One'” (John 17: 21). (pro-gospel.org, November 30, 2012)

As far as evangelicals going away, notice something that I wrote and published back in the Summer of 2009:

Various events around the globe suggest that people of many faiths are getting to the point where they are likely to accept some type of ecumenical religion.

Notice that one evangelical Protestant has predicted that there will be a collapse of evangelicals within a decade because of compromise and limited biblical confidence—and that many will join the Catholics and/or Orthodox:

Michael Spencer (2009): We are on the verge—within 10 years—of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West… Millions of Evangelicals will quit…massive majorities of Evangelicals can’t articulate the Gospel with any coherence…Even in areas where Evangelicals imagine themselves strong (like the Bible Belt), we will find a great inability to pass on to our children a vital evangelical confidence in the Bible and the importance of the faith… Two of the beneficiaries will be the Roman Catholic and Orthodox communions. Evangelicals have been entering these churches in recent decades and that trend will continue, with more efforts aimed at the “conversion” of Evangelicals to the Catholic and Orthodox traditions…

And the above is not even including the fact that those “Catholic and Orthodox communions” will themselves likely come together and change under the guise of the ecumenical movement that will strengthen in Europe—an ecumenical movement that news events show is occurring. (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009, pp. 176-177).

Despite having a lot of “megachurches,” overall, the evangelical movement continues its decline and movement towards absorption and extinction.

The Bible shows that an ecumenical unity for the world is coming our of Europe (cf. Revelation 13:3-4,8) and it will not be faithful to the early and true apostolic traditions or sacred scripture. Ecumenical unity will be a disaster for the world (cf. Revelation 13, 17, & 18). Catholics and Protestants will find such unity with the Eastern Orthodox especially disturbing if they understood the plan of the Orthodox in this area.

Ultimately, the evangelical movement as it is now known in the USA will be no more.

More details can be found in the following:

Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, did Martin Luther’s writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority? Statements from him changing and/or discounting 18 books of the Bible are included. Do you really want to know the truth?
Hope of Salvation: How the Genuine Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Do Protestants realize what the goal of the ecumenical Catholics is?
COGwriter Position on Other Churches and Religions What is the fate of those who do not know Christ? What about those who profess Christ outside the Church of God?
Hope of Salvation: How the Genuine Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The talks for unification involve compromise and the apparent rising up of a changed religion that no one should accept.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Genuine Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a verdadeira igreja do deus? Tambien Español: ¿Que es fiel: La Iglesia Católica Romana o la Iglesia verdadera de Dios? Auch: Deutsch: Welches ist treu: Die römisch-katholische Kirche oder die Kirche Gottes Original?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet”. Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries? Did you know that many in the second and third centuries felt that there were two major, and separate, professing Christian groups in the second century, but that those in the majority churches tend to now blend the groups together and claim “saints” from both? “Saints” that condemn some of their current beliefs. Who are the two groups?