wfn.org | Churches must use outreach to combat 'biblical illiteracy'

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Jan. 11, 1999 Contact: Thomas S. McAnally*(615) 742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-71BP{012}

NOTE: This story is accompanied by a photograph and a sidebar, UMNS #013.

By Joshua Lewis*

NEW ORLEANS (UMNS) -- At a time when 60 percent of Americans can't name half
of the Ten Commandments, churches need to develop new methods of outreach to
increase their ranks, according to a market researcher and Christian author.

"No wonder people break the Ten Commandments all the time. They don't know
what they are," said George Barna, president of Barna Research Group. Barna
is the author of more than 20 titles such as Evangelism That Works and, most
recently, The Second Coming of the Church.

"Increasingly, America is biblically illiterate," he said.

Barna spoke at the United Methodist Congress on Evangelism, held Jan. 5-8.
Nearly 1,000 people from around the country attended the event.

Barna illustrated his point with scores of research data throughout a day of
presentations such as "Understanding the Unchurched" and "Trends Affecting
Your Ministry."

One of his survey questions asked: Who preached the Sermon on the Mount?
Only about four out of 10 people knew that Jesus was the correct answer, he
said.

"One of the things that we discovered is that, yes, Jesus is the most
frequently given answer. But interestingly, what we found is that Billy
Graham is a very close second," he said, as the crowd broke into laughter.
"And just as interesting is that, over the last 10 years, Billy is closing
the gap." 

Anne Graham-Lotz, daughter of the prominent evangelist, delivered a sermon
the previous evening of the conference. The annual meeting is sponsored by
the United Methodist Council on Evangelism, an affiliate of the church's
Board of Discipleship.

Barna frequently used humor to lighten the bleak picture his data painted of
Christianity's slipping hold on American culture. Among other statistics:

*	Sixty-three percent of Americans can't name the four Gospels of the
New Testament.
*	Eighty-two percent believe that "God helps those who help
themselves" is a direct quote from the Bible.
*	Eighty-one percent of born-again Christians hold the same belief.
*	Only one out of five or six people even know that the United
Methodist Church exists.

"That represents a huge opportunity for growth," Barna said, again drawing
laughter from the crowd. Ignorance of the United Methodist Church reflects
an overall ignorance of denominational differences, as well as the
irrelevance of denominations in the minds of the American public, he said.

These were just a few on Barna's laundry list of challenges facing the
church in America. But he offered potential solutions as well.

The churches that have been most effective in combating biblical illiteracy
are those that offer "systematic theological education" and not "random bits
of biblical truth" that go in one ear and out the other, he said.

Churches need to provide a context, an overall framework for the information
members receive about their faith, he said.

Barna also offered what he called "The Ten Commandments of Reaching the
Unchurched." These are ways for churches to connect with the 60-65 million
Americans who do not attend worship services: 
1. 	Pray for them. Barna emphasized that general prayers are not good
enough, that they should be made by name according to the specific needs of
the persons being prayed for.
2. 	Let them maintain control of the relationship. Once a visitor has
come to your church, "allow them to do what works for them in our
environment," he said.
3. 	Your church must really want to grow.
4. 	Love them into your church. Programs alone won't keep newcomers at
your church, he said. A feeling that they are truly cared for will.
5. 	Provide quality ministry. "Excellence sells in our culture," Barna
said.
6. 	Provide them with tangible value. Barna said churches must ask the
question, "What made this (the church experience) a worthwhile investment of
their most precious resource -- their time?"
7. 	Establish multiple entry points. The Sunday worship service is not
the only event with which to draw newcomers. Try other activities, such as
small group meetings and workshops on personal finance and other topics.
8. 	Confront their religious baggage with them. Four out of five
"unchurched" people were formerly involved with a church and were, in their
words "driven away" by some negative experience they had, Barna's research
showed.
9. 	Treat them like people, not numbers. "The reason that they're coming
(to church) is that they want to be known." Barna noted that 60 percent said
they would prefer a church of 200 people or less.
10. 	Contextualize your ministry without compromising biblical
"non-negotiables." Church leaders must make the Gospel relevant in today's
rapidly changing society, but "we have to be the keepers of God's Word," he
said.

Nearly half of all unchurched people say they want a close, personal
relationship with God, Barna said. And two-thirds still refer to themselves
as Christians. 

"These are not people who are anti-religion," he said. "These are people who
believe for the most part in some kind of god or deity. They simply haven't
been able to figure out, 'How do I make it real, how do I make it beneficial
in my life?' They're not opposed to God."

#  #  #

Lewis is a free-lance writer and communication consultant based in Baton
Rouge, La. He can be reached at jglewis@premier.net .

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(615)742-5470
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