NASHVILLE, Tenn.— When it comes to charity, a personal touch works 10 times better than Facebook – at least for churchgoers. A new report from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found more than half of Protestant churchgoers say a personal connection inspired them to give money to a charity for the first time. Social media such as Facebook inspired only 4 percent of similar donations. Three-quarters of churchgoers support at least one charity besides their church. Almost half do volunteer … [Read more...]
Churches on Solid Ground as Economy Rebounds
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Church collection plates were a little bit fuller last fall, according to Nashville-based LifeWay Research. About 40 percent of Protestant pastors say their churches received more offerings in 2017 than in 2016. Three-quarters say their church met or exceeded budget. And only about a third say the economy gave their church trouble. Those are among the findings of a new report from LifeWay Research, based on a survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors. LifeWay … [Read more...]
Is support of Israel waning among younger evangelicals?
NASHVILLE (BP) – Older American evangelicals love Israel, but many younger evangelicals simply don't care, according to a new survey from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Three-quarters (77 percent) of evangelicals 65 and older say they support the existence, security and prosperity of Israel. That drops to 58 percent among younger evangelicals, those 18 to 34. Four in 10 younger evangelicals (41 percent) have no strong views about Israel. Fewer younger evangelicals (58 percent) have an … [Read more...]
Survey: Billy Graham, 99, has a far-reaching legacy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the fall of 1949, a little-known Baptist preacher launched a series of revival meetings at a “canvas cathedral” at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Hill Street in Los Angeles. The meetings were supposed to last three weeks. Instead they continued for eight weeks, drawing more than 300,000 people and making Billy Graham a household name. Nearly 70 years later, the 99-year-old Rev. Graham remains one of the best-known preachers in America, according to a … [Read more...]
Young Bible readers more likely to be faithful adults, study finds
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Most churchgoing Protestant parents of young adults say their kids grew up to be Christians. But half of them don’t actually practice the Christian faith, their parents say. And the biggest factor predicting their spiritual health as young adults is whether they read the Bible regularly as kids. Those are among the findings of a new study among Protestant churchgoers about parenting and spirituality from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. LifeWay Research … [Read more...]
End IRS oversight of sermons, Protestant pastors say
NASHVILLE – In the 1950s, Congress banned charitable nonprofits – including churches – from endorsing candidates or otherwise intervening in elections. Any nonprofit that violated the ban could run afoul of the IRS. Churches risked losing their tax-exempt status if the preacher endorsed a candidate in a sermon. It’s time for that to change, most Protestant pastors say in a new survey from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. More than 7 in 10 say Congress should bar the IRS from punishing a … [Read more...]
Survey spotlights American views on sin
NASHVILLE (BP) – According to a study released Aug. 15, two-thirds of Americans (67 percent) say they are sinners. And most people apparently aren't too happy about it – only 5 percent say they have no desire to mend their ways. Diverse responses to sin A third (34 percent) of Americans say they are sinners and are working on being less sinful, while a quarter (28 percent) say they are sinners and rely on Jesus to overcome their sin. One in 10 say sin doesn't exist (10 percent) or … [Read more...]
Do Christians’ good deeds go unseen?
NASHVILLE (BP) – Jesus warned his followers to keep their good deeds secret, warning them not to seek attention when doing the right thing. And American Christians seem to be following that advice. According to a new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research, few Americans are aware of many efforts by local Christians or churches to serve their neighbors. LifeWay Research’s survey of 1,000 Americans looked at 13 service programs often run by churches—from tutoring kids to teaching … [Read more...]
Poll: Americans have mixed feelings about sexual liberty, religious liberty
NASHVILLE (LifeWay) —Americans love to fight about sex and religion. From shacking up and same-sex marriage to birth control and bathrooms, Americans disagree about what is right and wrong with sex—often based on faith. Those disputes can end up in court, in highly divisive and controversial cases. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of a Colorado baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. When faith and sexuality clash, which side should … [Read more...]
Study: Morality on the decline?
NASHVILLE (BP) – Most older Americans say right and wrong never change. Younger Americans -- not so much, according to a new study released today (May 9). The study by LifeWay Research found a significant generation gap in how Americans view morality. More than 6 in 10 of those older than 45 say right and wrong do not change. For those 35 and younger, fewer than 4 in 10 make that claim, according to the study that was conducted Sept. 2–Oct. 1, 2016. That's a huge shift between … [Read more...]
Who can solve nation’s challenges?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – America’s got problems and needs to talk. But few Americans agree on who can best lead a conversation about the nation’s woes, according to a new report from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Less than a quarter (23 percent) would turn to the office of the U.S. president. About 1 in 10 would turn to the nation’s preachers (11 percent) or to college professors (10 percent). “Almost no one would ask a musician or pro athlete,” says Scott McConnell, executive director … [Read more...]
Majority of Americans now claim assisted suicide morally ‘acceptable’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The American Medical Association has described physician-assisted suicide as a serious risk to society and “fundamentally incompatible with a physician’s role as healer.” Millions of Americans disagree. Two-thirds say it is morally acceptable for terminally ill patients to ask their doctors for help in ending their lives, according to a new survey from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. A similar number says doctors should be able to help terminally ill patients die. In … [Read more...]