If anything unites earnest Evangelicals of all stripes, it's that they share an eminently honorable, two-fold desire: to see people come to know Jesus as Lord and to be an active part of the advance of God’s Kingdom. The Lord is always working, but Scripture calls us to discern the times and seasons and act accordingly.
And from where I sit, aside from anything explicitly political in these tumultuous days, it's an extremely sobering time within the Evangelical Christian church in the United States. Doctrinal error, distortion of the Gospel, and moral scandals are nothing new (see the churches in Corinth, Galatia, and several others that God addresses in Revelation). Even so, we must be ruthlessly honest about the current moment in America.
In the past decade, a striking number of high-profile Christian apologists, pastors, and ministers (from within evangelicalism, broadly defined) have been exposed for gross, disqualifying sins. With few exceptions, many of the ministry structures and boards of directors around them made excuses or, in various ways, gave cover. But independent investigative journalism, victims' advocate bloggers, and the proliferation of social media have made the masses keenly aware of all the malfeasance and corruption.
Long-suppressed truths about rampant abuse and misconduct from leaders in this realm can no longer be buried or dismissed like they once were. As for Americans' trust in churches? It's at an unsurprising record low. Speaking personally, as a lowercase-o orthodox Evangelical who has done some of the difficult investigative reporting on church and ministry scandals myself, watching this unfold up close has been a disorienting, humbling — even humiliating — experience.
While many factors have contributed to the documented decline of the Christian faith in America in the past several years, I can’t help but notice how many believers immediately become defensive and