Earlier this month we noted that popular writer John Shelby Spong, author of the best-seller Why Christianity Must Change or Die, declares that unless Christians abandon such beliefs as Jesus' resurrection or the idea of a personal God, Christianity "will soon take its place alongside other ancient religions in the museum."

Similarly, scholar Arthur Peacock insists that the church drop what he calls "incomprehensible and unbelievable" teachings of supernaturalism in order to be credible to the world.

However, author Philip Jenkins counters in his book The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity that these statements reveal significant misperceptions about Christianity today.

“In the context of global Christianity, this kind of liberalism looks distinctly dated. It would not be easy to convince a congregation in Seoul or Nairobi that Christianity is dying, when their main concern is building a worship facility big enough for the 10,000 or 20,000 members they have gained over the past few years. And these new converts are mostly teenagers and young adults; very few with white hair.”

Here’s how you answered our question: Is Christianity Dying?

I write from Nigeria, West Africa. And I want to assert that the Christian faith is spreading like wildfire. Today in Nigeria, we have the largest church building in the world, the 50,000-seat auditorium--Faith Tabernacle in Cannanland, near Lagos. Also, in 1998 the largest gathering of Christians was recorded in Lekki, Lagos, conservatively estimated at 4 million believers. Details can be sourced from the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Today, missionaries are being sent out from Nigeria by diverse Christian organizations. Indeed Christianity is well and alive.
Akor
via the New Man Blog

Excellent article and great point. As a pastor it makes me sick to hear other pastors comment on how bad things are, because I realize they are only looking at the church in America. They tend to read the newspaper as if it were their Bible commentary. God is on the move, both in the United States and around the world. God is going to be the victor in all this. My personal opinion is that heaven will be more populated than hell. Let's believe big!
Michael
via the New Man Blog

By successfully eliminating “sin”' from our sermons in the U.S., we also have successfully eliminated the communication of the purpose of Jesus Christ, His shed blood on the cross and His resurrection. Who then needs Christianity? The American church is like a McDonald’s that no longer sells hamburgers and wonders where its customers went.
Ellery
via the New Man Blog