Charismatic churches are growing in number in the Unites States, but many Americans still have inaccurate assumptions about the particular brand of Christianity, according to surveys released Monday.
Many people believe that charismatic Christianity is almost exclusively a Protestant phenomenon, but research shows that one-third of all U.S. Catholics (36 percent) fit the charismatic classification, according to the new Barna study. And nearly one-quarter of all charismatics in the U.S. (22 percent) are Catholics.
Charismatic Christians are defined in the study as those that say they have been “filled with the Holy Spirit” and believe in “charismatic gifts, such as tongues and healing, are still valid and active today.”
Another misconception is that charismatic churches belong to a strictly separate group of denominations. In reality, charismatic churches have crossed denominational boundaries in recent years. A Barna survey of senior pastors reveals that seven percent of Southern Baptist churches and six percent of mainline churches are charismatic.
There are also widespread beliefs that charismatic churches tend to be small, relatively unsophisticated congregations that are more likely to be led by female pastors. However, research suggests that congregations are about the same size as those of non-charismatic Protestant churches and are also actually more likely to use technological applications – including large screen projection systems – evaluated in the study.
Moreover, charismatic and non-charismatic Protestant churches have the same portion of churches led by a female senior pastor (nine percent).
Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians over the past decade have grown from about 30 percent to 36 percent of American adults, or about 80 million people. One out of every four Protestant churches in the United States (23 percent) is a charismatic congregation.
George Barna, who directed the research projects, commented that the growth in the charismatic and Pentecostal movements in America is not surprising because it matches the current cultural trend in mainstream society.
“The freedom of emotional and spiritual expression typical of charismatic assemblies parallels the cultural trend toward personal expression, accepting diverse emotions and allowing people to interpret their experiences in ways that make sense to them,” Barna explained. “It is not surprising that the Pentecostal community in America has been growing.”
He added that he expects charismatic Christianity will continue to grow.
“We are moving toward a future in which the charismatic-fundamentalist split will be an historical footnote rather than a dividing line within the body of believers,” Barna predicted. “Young Christians, in particular, have little energy for the arguments that have traditionally separated charismatics and non-charismatics. Increasing numbers of people are recognizing that there are more significant arenas in which to invest their resources.”
For the most part, the profile of the typical charismatic congregation is nearly the same as that of evangelical, fundamentalist and mainline Protestant churches. Four out of five (80 percent) have a full-time, paid pastor; the senior pastor is, on average, 52 years old (the same as other Protestant churches); and the weekly adult attendance is nearly equivalent to other Protestant bodies (82 adults at Pentecostal gatherings compared to 85 adults at all Protestant churches).
Yet there are significant differences between charismatic and non-charismatic congregations.
Non-charismatic congregations tend to have a larger annual operating budget, $149,000, compared to the budget of Pentecostal ministries with $136,000. Similarly, non-charismatic churches on average spent more in paying their senior pastor, $47,000 annually, than charismatic pastors who receive a compensation package averaging about $42,000.
Yet perhaps the biggest distinction between the two is the level of education of the pastors. A significant majority of senior pastors of non-charismatic churches (70 percent) have graduated from a seminary. In comparison, not quite half of charismatic pastors (49 percent) have a seminary degree.
The report is based on a nationwide telephone survey conducted by Barna in December 2007 among a random sample of 1,005 adults, age 18 and older. It also contains information from a nationwide phone survey among a random sample of 1,220 senior pastors of Protestant churches.
Comments
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. (Ps 31:24)
Online,
Your Sat Jun 21 1:12pm post on Archaeologist Unearth 'World's first Church' article was flagged. I think msnchris70 flagged it. My stuff was flagged too at the same time. I guess he can't handle the truth.
Hope everything is going well for you.
God bless.
Star2,
Hi, hope all is well.
“The Hebrew Meanings of the 10 Generations Mentioned in Genesis 5”
That was interesting; the message is supported by what God’s Word already says.
I would propose that the last week of the 70 week prophecy is one complete consecutive time period. Futurists take this last 70th week and place it into the future without any biblical basis.
GMG, Online, wilderness
I have found this to be of interest too. I don't unerstand it but if it is true then we might be entering into Daniel's 70th week very soon. Something to pray about anyway.
Interview with Mark Biltz on Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 2014/2015 (Pt 1) and (Pt 2)
http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/
GMG, Online4Him, wilderness
You might find this very interesting:
The Hebrew Meanings of the 10 Generations Mentioned in Genesis 5
http://www.elshaddaiministries.us/audio/more/tengen5.html
GMG
It was great hearing from you.
I can't understand why your daughter and her husband are having financial problems. I mean $4500 a month is quite a bit. I wonder what is really going on?
Do the kids miss their mom and dad?
You haven't missed much on CP, at least as far as the posting is concerned. Same kind of stuff being said. The conservatives speak basically with one voice, the Catholics are together in their stuff, and their is no change in the atheists/evolutionists.
Did you know that ireneous was a Baptist before he became a Catholic? Him and online go at it with each other all the time.
chicago24 was raised a Baptist and went to a Catholic seminary. I think he is now Catholic. His dad is a Baptist Minister. I wonder what he thinks about his son's conversion to Catholicism?
May God help these people.
Our atheist/evolutionist buddy Jerry2 and all his aliases is still the same.
Glad the storm didn't do anything worse than what it did.
Have you gotten your plumbing put in yet?
Things in general are about the same with me.
Did you get my email I sent you.
Talk with you later.
Hey star,
Been gone a while, I know. Just a quick note. Still have the kids. Took Christian to the dr. for lymph nodes that were active, he's on antibiotics now. Hard to get things done on a regular schedule with my munchkins. Have no idea how long we will have them, maybe forever? Just kidding. They're having money problems, guess they think we can be summer babysitters. We love these kids, but we weren't planning on being their parents, sig-h-h-h.
Hope all is well with you. Don't even get to read hardly any articles lately, been so busy. It's hot, we just had a major storm, even took the kids down into the "fraidy hole" the other night because of cloud rotations a few miles east of us. No tornado on the ground, but super winds and torrential rain. Split a couple of our trees. Everyone fine though.
Don't know when I can really spend any time here, just have to play it by ear. But we're fine overall, just tired and super busy.
Will talk with you later, I hope not too much later :(
Star2,
That is good to know; thanks. It happened again on an other article; hopefully this is not censorship.
Online - I called CP and reported the problem of the disappearing comments. The person who answered the phone said she would let the technical staff know about it.
Online - I don't know what happened to all those comments on that articlel as well as many others. Last Friday I contacted CP about a habitual flagging problem and asked them to restore the comments. But I also mentioned to them about the disappearing comments. I didn't hear back from them. Maybe I'll call them tomorrow about it or email them again.
Star2,
Do you know what happened to all the posts on this article - "Priest Who Mocked Clinton Told To Step Down" ? I am asking because you have actually contacted and spoken with representatives from the CP before, right?
You too wilderness. God bless.
Hello everyone. Keep pressing on!
GMG, Online, wilderness
The Emerging Church: Last Days Apostasy and a Return To Darkness" - found at: http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c29.shtml
"How to Know When the Emerging Church Shows Signs of Emerging in Your Church" - found at: http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c54.shtml
"The Inclusive Gospel" - found at: http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c66.shtml
Hello Star2, GMG, Wilderness1,
Just passing through; I pray all is well - God bless!