In case you have not seen some of the reaction to George Barna’s book, Revolution, here is a sampling. Written by Charisma Magazine editor Lee Grady in the January edition:
The well-known Christian researcher has gone too far this time: He’s advocating the demise of the local church…
The tempered sociologist has now become something of a mad scientist. By cooking the numbers, reinterpreting the data and injecting his own biases into this odd experiment, he has created a Frankenstein that is now on the loose.
We should all be concerned about this monster.
Barna’s theory is that large numbers of American Christians are disillusioned with the church and have quit the Sunday morning routine. He applauds this trend, and has labeled these church dropouts “revolutionaries” who—in his opinion—have more spiritual creativity and passion than stick-in-the-mud traditionalists.
He also believes that those who have left the mainstream church scene will overhaul modern Christianity, describing their mission as “a daring redefinition of the church as we know it.”
He offers a gloomy assessment of the future of the American religious scene, claiming that by the year 2025 (1) the number of churches in this country will dramatically decline; (2) church attendance will drop while at the same time the “revolutionaries” will be devoting their time to other “spiritual events”; (3) donations to churches will drop; and (4) fewer clergy will receive a livable salary while denominations are forced to make huge cutbacks…
But what Barna wants to do is reinvent the church without its biblical structure and New Testament order—and without the necessary people who are anointed and appointed by God to lead it. To follow this defective thesis to its logical conclusion would require us to fire all pastors, close all seminaries and Bible colleges, padlock our sanctuaries and send everybody home to be discipled by somebody on the Internet or at a “spontaneous” worship concert. (After all, who needs buildings? Megachurches are so ‘90s.)
The message of Revolution is not for Christians in the Third World, and it is not for us. With all respect to Barna, who has helped us in the past with his facts and observations, this flawed proposal needs to be recalled before it causes some serious damage.
You can read the entire article here.
I suppose this type of reaction is to be expected!
Thanks, John White, for the heads up.
Comments
17 responses to “Reaction to Barna”
It’s sad…but we are getting the same kind of reaction to our move towards a more organic expression of church.
What’s funny and significant is that our most negative reactions come from those who have been steeped in the IC. But disconnected people (aka. lost) love it!
Lee Grady is a prime example of reactionary, closed-minded thinking. It’s too bad because I usually have enjoyed his writing in Charisma.
Oh, by the way, I’m a Christian in the “Third World” (I prefer the term Two Thirds World) and I do resent that Mr. Grady would presume to know what’s good for us in this part of the world. Our Western influenced churches suffer from the same materialistic, passive, immature, and sterile Christianity as most of the IC churches in the US.
Hooray for Barna. It is always good to see a man with a lot to lose who is ready to stand for what he believes. It is a form of martyrdom. It remninds me of Larry Crabb when he wrote “Connecting.” He killed himself as a psychologist but proved himself as a man of God. We need more of these courageous people and more of us who simply want what God has for us, God’s way. It is happening and I am glad to be part of it. Maranatha!
All I have is respect for Barna and his views (as usual) are right on the mark. I have been struggling to be what he defines a “revolutionary” for some time now, and it is a real encouragement to see Barna taking the stand he is taking on this. Ironicly, the same ones who are now ready to “crucify” him are the same ones who were just a few months ago quoting his stats from the pulpit to prove thier points…..hmmmm….sounds familiar?
We must remember that in a real revolution….there will be a war! May we fight the good fight and realize who the “real” enemy is….and it is not the people who are in the Body of Christ! It is our Enemy! John Eldredge’s EPIC points this out clearly. “We are in a battle, but most of us don’t live like it.” The battle is not with those who do not share our view….it is with the father of lies. So don’t buy the Lie!
Live in the FREEDOM OF CHRIST!!!!
Long live the Revolution!!!!
All I have is respect for Barna and his views (as usual) are right on the mark. I have been struggling to be what he defines a “revolutionary” for some time now, and it is a real encouragement to see Barna taking the stand he is taking on this. Ironicly, the same ones who are now ready to “crucify” him are the same ones who were just a few months ago quoting his stats from the pulpit to prove thier points…..hmmmm….sounds familiar?
We must remember that in a real revolution….there will be a war! May we fight the good fight and realize who the “real” enemy is….and it is not the people who are in the Body of Christ! It is our Enemy! John Eldredge’s EPIC points this out clearly. “We are in a battle, but most of us don’t live like it.” The battle is not with those who do not share our view….it is with the father of lies. So don’t buy the Lie!
Live in the FREEDOM OF CHRIST!!!!
Long live the Revolution!!!!
I’m in agreement with much of what Barna says in “Revolution” but I am incredibly frustrated with the way he said it. The author of the article you quote is primarily upset that Barna is “advocating the demise of the local church.” The way Barna uses the term “local church” in his book, it is very easy to come away with this criticism. However, I don’t think Barna is really advocating the demise of the local church. I think in actuality he is advocating the demise of the current state and form of the local institutional church. Barna clearly cares about the church and I think his book shows that he does care about the church happening in a local setting (in community). I think Barna’s main point is that the way this looks is changing and needs to continue to change. However, Barna often confuses this in the way he uses the term “local church” in his writing. By making this mistake, his book has led to many unnessary criticisms that take away from the main point and the main discussions that need to be had.
J.Lee Grady the Warming Kettle: More Flack for Barna
Looks like George Barnas taking some more flak over his recent book, Revolution. this time from Charisma editor J. Lee Grady. As a former charismatic, I want to say Man, you think you know who your friends are. Wi…
I’d be surprised if we didn’t get many reactions against Barna’s Revolution from the Insitutional Churches and those with entrenched interests in the status quo. Remember, the Pharisees didn’t care much for the revolution that Jesus brought, and eventually put Him to death for it. We’ll just pray that Barna’s so-called threat to “Folk Christianity” isn’t as great, and that he’ll escape crucifiction. I agree with most of Barna’s conclusions, but I don’t think he’s got the diagnosis quite right. The real evil is that modern Christianity has devolved into a situation where “you go TO Church”, and have forgotten that “You are the Church”. We’re focused on Starsearch Christiantiy where only the great communicators hear from God, while the gifts and the calling of the many go routinely untapped and ignored. It’s become a priest-hood and audience model, that folks are rejecting already. You can only hear so many Gee-wiz sermons and peppy music before you realize that you don’t matter one iota in that paradigm, except to get milked for your funds. Most men already know that “This go to Church stuff” is not really about me, it’s about them, the Pastor, the denonomination, and most importantly, their budget and salary. Yes, “Folk Christianity”, as most of us know it, has virtually stopped being the body of Christ. We have Priesthood and audience, not Priesthood of Believers. We have professional clergy with inherent conflict of interest, not foot-washers and servant-leaders. We need the practical outworking of the gifts and the calling of everyone in the Body of Christ, instead we get unhealthy co-dependency, power over people, guilt-trippers and control-freaks. I only wish Jesus were here to over turn the tables and clean out the money-changers. Oh, maybe His body is still here to carry on His work. I suppose we’ll see, whether the Lord will empty out the Church houses, or work from within to get back to something more real. The most serious question is whether the established intelligentsia will simply resist, or truly seek the Lord for what He might really want. My guess is, most will resist, and ultimately go the way of the Pharisees. By the way, pay close attention to those leaders who are honest enough to acknowledge that something is seriously wrong, who are courageious enough to take on the existing Church paradigm. They just might be the real thing. Beware those who stand for the status quo, for if Barna has proved anything with his stats, it’s that something is seriously wrong. Only those who are dreadfully fearful of losing their influence and financial security will stand steadfastly for something almost everyone knows is broken.
I love this blog, this is the one place I come to every week, I used to think I was mad until I started to look outside the small English town where I live and see that many people all over the world are all swimming against the current.
I haven’t read Barna and the reaction to him sounds paranoic, but we radicals need to be careful not to so alienate the people in the rut that they get further entrenched. We are church, but so are they, we may have new revelation, but they are trying to serve God in the one they know. I don’t think you win an arguement by words, but by love. And yes I agree, lets take the war to where it belongs.
A couple brief comments for us all to consider is;
1) This should have been an expected response from the institutional church.
2) Follow the link given in this blog to the full article and read what others think about the article itself.
Blessings.
“Revolution” will be discussed this Friday night (2-3-06) on the nationwide Moody Broadcasting Network. Open Line is a call-in show which is aired at 8-8:55 pm CT. The phone number is 312-329-4460.
The programs are archived for download.
For station and time of broadcast information see http://openlineradio.org
This has nothing to do with this post, Someone emailed me recently after responding to my comments. Their names were Sue and ____ Algood. Well something happened to my computer and I lost all my email addresses. So if you read this email me again. There are a couple of others that emailed me. Sorry for that inconvenience….
This time I agree with Barna. The Holy Spirit is moving and those who are not open will miss what the Lord is doing.
“Who needs Mega Churches”?, that’s the question I’m asking
As a leader of a house church for youth, I felt I needed to comment. Most of the teens and young adults we have are unchurched or have had bad experiences with the institutional church. What the house church offers is hands-on learning, very important for the unchurched. And a more relaxed environment where you can express your thoughts and ideas without feeling uneasy. My opinion, it doesn’t matter if you are in a house church or an institutional church. As long as you are seeking Christ, that is the most important thing. And you feel good in that environment. Also, we have pastors and elders that oversee our house churches.
Lets not bag the mega churches, please (well not yet anyway :-). Many an ‘revolutionary’ church has come about out of a mega church. Mine is an example of that!
When mega churches grab hold of the notion that it is ‘not all about the mega-churches vision’ it is about releasing God’s people into ministry within local community ‘bone of my bone – flesh of my flesh’ Then something wonderful can happen. When mega church leaders understand it is not ‘about their vision’ but the dreams and hopes of her people. Than an even greater more wonderful revolution can begin.
I imagine some in house style churches can be as equalling closed to the new thing God is doing. Actually I am not convinced it is a new thing at all, but raher a return to the fundatmental values of the Church
“But what Barna wants to do is reinvent the church without its biblical structure and New Testament order…To follow this defective thesis to its logical conclusion would require us to close all seminaries and Bible colleges, padlock our sanctuaries … (After all, who needs buildings? Megachurches are so ‘90s.)”
Yeah, I enjoy reading about the New Testament “order” in Acts, about all those Bible colleges and seminaries and large sanctuaries and missionary societies and televangelists and programs, programs, programs and, oh yeah, magazines.
I’m not knocking those things, but the author of that article has his heart set on something that isn’t in the Bible. He’s a little confused. Perhaps the fact that we have all that stuff is because the church hasn’t really done its job over the centuries.
How’s that for roiling the waters.
Quote – “what Barna wants to do is reinvent the church without its biblical structure and New Testament order…To follow this defective thesis to its logical conclusion would require us to close all seminaries and Bible colleges, padlock our sanctuaries … ”
What’s odd is the movement of many to the practice of House Church reflects something far more biblical in nature than the current system of worship by modern Christians. There are no seminaries in the New Testament, nor will you find any indication in the New Testament that Christians built buildings and called them churches. Nor will you find in the bible where 80% of sacrificial giving went to building maintenance, salaries and other programs – leaving very little for the biblical examples of what we’re really supposed to do with our offerings.
Barna’s not “reinventing” the church, he’s discussing God’s movement among many to return to the first church. The church that exists among disciples of Christ. It’s not “reinventing”, but a return to the original pattern for the church.
It’s funny how we forget what’s recorded biblically for us to discern. For example, prior to being stoned, the bible tells us that Steven said; “God does not live in houses built by men”. If that’s the case, why do we insist he does?
No, I believe the statistics talked about by Barna speak of what’s wrong with the church, and why we need to get back to the basics of worship without all the trappings. A more honest relationship with God based on God’s people, and not some building or religious organization.
God is calling us to “be church” in his presence. Not go to some building called “church”. It’s really two different things. One is biblical, the other created through the traditions of men. I fully agree that the author does not have his heart set on biblical worship, the biblical church. This is why many today enter the ministry as a vocation, and not a true calling. Looking for a salary, instead of being focused on serving God’s people in the example given to us by Jesus himself.
I believe Barna and others are raising the flag on a return to the heart of God by the true church. After all, Jesus is coming for a people. Not a denomination, a building or a program. None of this organizational stuff means a hill of beans to the Lord. God is inspecting our hearts, not counting how many cars are in the parking lot.
Blessings.
There is a revolution or maybe a reformation in the works and to deny that is unwise. Barna is simply stating the obvious, and if he happens to be supportive of it, I see no problem with that. Sure this movement may be bad for the stability of the institutional church, but that may not be so bad if the institution is valueing its institutionalness over and/or against the “house of God” universal.