As a pastor and a student of American religion, I’m always drawn to the number of surveys released that point to the “state of religion in America.”  A major one, the American Religious Identification Survey, was just released last week.  (Here’s a link to the report: http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/)

When I read the report, three things jumped out at me.

First, the survey found that the American population self-identifies as predominantly Christian, but Christianity’s share of the population is decreasing.  The number of Americans self-identifying as Christians fell from 86% in 1990 to 76% in 2008.

Second, when examining the growth in the Christian population, the survey show that it occurred among those who would identify only as “Christian,” “Evangelical/Born Again,” or “non-denominational Christian.  From the report: “It looks like the two-party system of American Protestantism–mainline versus evangelical–is collapsing,” said Mark Silk, director of the Public Values Program. “A generic form of evangelicalism is emerging as the normative form of non-Catholic Christianity in the United States.”

Third, and probably the biggest news of the survey is the growth of the “Nones.”  The percentage of Americans claiming no religion has now increased to 15 percent of the population.  Northern New England has overtaken the Pacific Northwest as the least religious region.

What do these numbers mean for you and me?  What should they mean for CBF?   I’m not sure, but I’m just throwing the info out there.  However, I do think the survey tells us that old forms of denominationalism are dead or dying.  To be the presence of Christ in this world, I think CBF has to truly be the missional movement we claim to be: open and available for change, new partners, and new ministries.  We must remain true to the integrity of our past convictions while being open to being shaped by God for the future. 

Of course, it’s important to remember that numbers only tell us so much.  They don’t tell us of the countless others who are searching.  They don’t tell us about lives transformed  – those who find Christ, who discover community, who are healed physically, mentally, and emotionally.  They can’t tell all the stories of those eager to share how God changed their lives. 

Numbers are good, but stories are better.  I pray that CBF will continue to have stories to tell of our following God’s mission in the world for years to come.