For all the upheaval and conflict caused by their liberal agendas, churches that have gone liberal in the biblical interpretation are losing members and dwindling away. These are often mainline Protestant churches, and they are in trouble. A 2015 report by the Pew Research Center found that these congregations, once a pillar of religious strength, are now shrinking by about 1 million members every year. Fewer members means less income, further ensuring their decline.
These churches, which include the United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, Presbyterian and Anglican Church (Episcopal in the USA), decided that in order to stem the tide, they would abandon their literal interpretation of the Bible and transform themselves along with the changing times. But that hasn’t helped. It has only accelerated the decline. These ideas had an intellectual respectability that, on the surface, might appear far-fetched to modern audiences.
But the liberal turn in mainline churches doesn’t appear to have solved their problem of decline. A Canadian study on churches in Ontario showed that “conservative Protestant theology, with its more literal view of the Bible, is a significant predictor of church growth while liberal theology leads to decline.” The results were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal, Review of Religious Research.
The study also found that for all measures, growing church clergy members are the most theologically conservative, while declining church clergy members are the least. Their congregations meet more in the middle. Other studies show that nationally, and internationally, growing churches have been almost exclusively conservative in doctrine.
Liberal churches are far more likely, for instance, to teach that trying to convert non-Christians to Christianity is culturally insensitive, and therefore it should not be done, while conservative churches teach that members are to make “disciples of all nations,” giving them a model that keeps them growing.
Obviously, liberal churches, who thought that change was necessary, got the direction of change wrong. Historically, this should be no surprise. It happened with the Waldenses when they joined the Reformation in the 16th century. The Genevan Reformers were far more liberal than the Waldenses, so when they adopted their theology and practices, they lost their spiritual vitality.
The Bible provides a prophetic formula for end time success. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:6-7.