Report on church culture will be forum topic
Between 2007 and 2014, the Christian share of the U.S. population fell from 78.4 percent to 70.6 percent, driven mainly by declines among mainline Protestants and Catholics, according to an extensive 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study conducted by the Pew Research Center.
According to the study’s findings, the unaffiliated experienced the most growth, and the share of Americans who belong to non-Christian faiths also increased during that time.
A panel discussion about some of the findings will be the highlight of “Evening of Listening: The Pew Report ... the Changing Church Culture.”
The public forum is set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, 127 NW 7.
The forum is sponsored by The Oklahoman in partnership with St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Oklahoma Conference of Churches.
Panelists will include the Rev. Justin Lindstrom, dean of St. Paul’s; the Rev. William Tabbernee, executive director of the Oklahoma Conference of Churches; the Rev. Semaj Vanzant, pastor of The Christ Experience, a United Methodist congregation; the Rev. Amy Rogers, senior pastor of First Christian Church of Guthrie (Disciples of Christ); and the Rev. Doug Serven, senior pastor of City Presbyterian Church.
A question-and-answer session will be part of the evening’s agenda. Carla Hinton, religion editor at The Oklahoman, will serve as moderator.
The event is free and open to the public.
Panelists will discuss several aspects of the Pew Report, including:
•The increase in people who declared themselves unaffiliated or who do not believe in God.
•What different generations want from a church.
•What the report’s findings may be saying about theology and culture.
The nonpartisan Pew Research Center is based in Washington, D.C.