April 02, 2025

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of American Protestantism the Past 25 Years, Part 1: Key Strengths of American Protestantism in the 21st Century

27 minutes

In an unusual departure from the style of this podcast, Thom and Jess look at American Protestantism in the 21st century, highlighting 10 amazing contributions and 10 abject failures. For number 21, the Rainers give American Christianity a “grade” they believe is objective based on the past 25 years. They will take four podcasts to take you on this journey.

Part 1: Key Strengths of American Protestantism in the 21st Century

1. Local and Global Humanitarian Efforts – Protestant churches lead in disaster relief, medical missions, hunger alleviation, and human trafficking intervention. Organizations like Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, and denominational mission agencies make a significant impact.

2. Church Planting and Innovation – While many churches decline, the 21st century has seen a resurgence of church planting, such as Acts 29, ARC (Association of Related Churches), and City to City, and church planting efforts through denominations.

3. Biblical Literacy and Theological Training – Seminaries, online training programs, and grassroots movements have provided accessible biblical education to both clergy and laity, increasing theological engagement.

4. Cultural Adaptability – Protestantism has shown remarkable flexibility in adopting new technologies (e.g., livestream services, social media evangelism, YouTube teaching ministries) to reach people in innovative ways.

5. Growth of Multicultural and Multiracial Churches – Many Protestant churches are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, reflecting demographic shifts in the U.S. and demonstrating a commitment to racial reconciliation.

Resources:

Chaney & Associates

The Church Advisory Podcast

Upward Sports

Part 2: Abject Failures of American Protestantism in the 21st Century

Part 3: Key Strengths of American Protestantism in the 21st Century

Part 4: Abject Failures of American Protestantism in the 21st Century

“Why Conservative Churches Are Growing” by Dean Kelley (affiliate link)

“Our Kind of People” by C. Peter Wagner (affiliate link)

“Church Planting for a Greater Harvest” by C. Peter Wagner (affiliate link)

Samaritan’s Purse

World Vision

Acts 29

ARC (Association of Related Churches)

City to City

The Hope Initiative

Church Answers Membership

FREE Research Report: New Surprising Insights

Episode Sponsor:

Lead Your Church. We’ll Handle the Numbers.

We have decades of experience serving churches across the country.

We’re church accountants who speak your language and understand your mission.

Gain clear financial insights to guide your ministry decisions with confidence.

Tailored solutions for churches of every size and stage.

Smart tools that save time and simplify finances so you can focus on ministry.

Stewardship matters. Your time is precious. We help with both.

Learn more today at chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

Upward Sports is the world’s largest Christian youth sports organization, partnering with local churches to use sports as a powerful outreach tool to engage the community.

To remind our listeners, Upward offers a variety of league options, including basketball, cheerleading, soccer, flag football, volleyball, baseball, running for adults, and now, pickleball.

Partnering with Upward Sports helps your church reach the community, attract young families, and share the Gospel in a meaningful way.

Is your church striving to be known as a welcoming space where families come together? Sports can naturally become your invitation. Upward Sports understands this and is ready to help you cultivate that atmosphere.

Exciting news from Upward Sports! Pickleball is now available as an Upward sport starting April 1st! Perfect for middle and high schoolers, pickleball is easy to learn, quick to set up, and one of the best ways to keep kids engaged. Whether you’re looking to start a traditional league or a flexible practice-and-play format, Upward Sports is here to help you build a strategy that fits your church. Ready to get started? Schedule a call today and launch a purposeful pickleball ministry in your community!

At Upward, they will customize your sports outreach strategy to fit your church’s budget, and community needs because we know one size doesn’t fit all.

Already have a thriving outreach ministry? Add sports to further fuel your outreach and connect with even more families.

Are you looking to engage new families, bless your community, or mobilize your congregation to serve? Whether you have a gym, field space, or access to a facility, Upward Sports can help. We’re here to support your church in creating a first-class, organized, and intentional outreach ministry that tells families, “You are welcome here!”

Whether you’re expanding an existing sports ministry or starting from scratch, explore Upward Sports. With a trusted history of partnering with over 5,000 churches nationwide, Upward stands ready to support you.

Schedule your call today at www.Upward.org/ChurchAnswers.

The post The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of American Protestantism the Past 25 Years, Part 1: Key Strengths of American Protestantism in the 21st Century appeared first on Church Answers.

...more

View all episodes

By The Church Answers Podcast

4.8

264264 ratings