The Emerging “eXvangelical” Church

If you’re a Christian and have been on Twitter within the last two years then you’ve most likely heard of them.

The “eXvangelicals.”

Like it or not… they’re a thing.

For the past several years (if not longer) there’s been a highly publicized steady decrease in church attendance. Barna Group has labeled this as a “mass exodus” of sorts.

In fact, It’s estimated that 8,000-10,000 churches will close their doors this year, in the US alone. The SBC has reported, in 2018 that they’ve lost more than 200,000 members in one year. I’m assuming that has something to do with the whopping 80% of the US adult cohort opting out of attending Church. This 80% includes many of our parents, which presumably has greatly impacted the lack of attendance seen in their children, the 18 to 32-year-olds. You know, the ones supposed to take the reigns from the 16,000 Baby Boomers retiring annually…

There’s three reasons for this (IMO):

Quite possibly it’s the relentless pursuit of a conservative political agenda ostracizing and alienating POC, LGBTQ, and women at large…
The fact that millennials are getting married later and staying single longer; which means they’re also having children much later. So these marriage-centric churches have deterred millions.
The Internet, putting it simply. Or, as some might call it “The Age of Information”; it’s not helped church attendance too much either… (https://www.patheos.com/blogs/andygill/how-the-internet-is-killing-american-christianity/)

Piggybacking on this last point: The internet has had greater negative effects on the church than the church has had on its people (if you’re reading this, then you understand what I’m saying here). It’s at the point of which I’m surprised those who write for the Boston Globes infamous “Spotlight” haven’t left the Globe to pursue their own blog.

Similar to Yelp reviews decreasing the small business’ gross income by 30% the Internet has nearly dismantled evangelicalism as we know it.

Which, swings us back around to the eXvangelicals…