Research Says: Conservative Theology Helps Churches Grow Faster Harry Farley JOURNALIST 17 November 2016 Conservative churches grow faster than more liberal leaning ones, a five-year study has shown. The paper found that churches that relied on a more literal reading of the Bible and a certain belief in hell were more likely to grow than others. The controversial study counters calls for the Church of England to change traditional aspects of its teaching, such as over gay marriage, to reverse its continued decline. Click here for the rest of the article: http://www.christiantoday.com/artic...heology.helps.churches.grow.faster/101037.htm
I recall the great line from the movie Chariots of Fire which from my poor memory went something like the kingdom of God is not a democracy, God is not seeking re-election. There are many conservative positions that do embrace popular support, and I wouldn't think we would be swayed by all of them. Authenticity is of course the key. Truth is truth. I recall in Australia when 99 in 100 people thought that Lindy Chamberlain had murdered her daughter. Today I would reckon 100 in 100 people think that she did not. The people and the press swayed the court. I think that the reason why conservative positions are appealing is because they offer apparent certainties in a world where often it seems that nothing is certain. Our challenge is not to be popular, but to be authentic and to be faithful. The rate of social change has increased significantly, perhaps by 1000% since the time Jesus walked on Earth. In my lifetime many technologies have come and gone - things my grandparents never knew my grandchildren will also never know. There is a great appeal in a gospel that remains true and unchanged, yet we must also remember that we are not the anachronistic history society, we are called to respond, in God's name, to the people of this changing world. I take no delight in the failure of neo-quasi-Liberal Christianity, many of whom were simply trying to be faithful to what they understood of the truth of the Gospel. The wise man built his house upon the rock