by Geoffrey Schmitt

Created on: March 02, 2010

There is a common wisdom saying that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Certainly there are, (as is also wisdom), exceptions to the rule. Thus, when considering the future of Christianity, we might consider the possibilities of both repeated trends and innovations.

 The history of Christianity can be seen as a recurring cycle of vibrant life and faith accompanied by dedicated evangelism and growth. This is followed by a period of stability which in time leads to a decline in urgency and passion. The cycle continues with an increase influence of surrounding culture, a loss of fervent appreciation of God’s power, and subsequent decline in active participation. Successive generations don’t catch the faith of their parents or grandparents. However, somewhere revival and rebirth sparks and the cycle begins again.

Who would know for example that the mainline Methodists of today stem from the wild preaching of John Wesley?  He was a priest of the Church of England who was so passionate in his day that other pastors would not let him in their pulpits.  Another more recent example can be seen in the Pentecostal denomination of The Assembly of God. In many places you would never know they were once accused of “swinging from the chandeliers.”

On the upswing side of the cycle are revivals. The Welsh Revival, The Great Awakening, the Pentecostal revival at Azusa Street, and many other such examples sprang up in times and places where and when Christianity was at a low ebb.

Thus, now when we are in an admittedly Post Christian era, we can confidently believe the church will rise again. Revival and Renewal will spring up somewhere soon.  We saw it with a boom in Christian youth movements of the 1960s and 70s. We saw it in the Christian men’s movement, with Promise Keepers in the 1990s and forward. Mainline denominations are struggling and even some mega churches are wavering. Yet at the same time the house church movement is growing.  So the future will be in some ways like the past. The cycle will continue.

Also the future will hold new things for the faith. Who can tell what modernity will foster. We will see continued splits over sexuality. We will see continued merging as groups like the ECLA Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodist and others continue to unite in loose affiliations. Near where I live there are churches for Bikers and churches for Cowboys. The internet will continue to develop new ways of being the church and new ways of reaching out to and nurturing new believers. Even places like Helium.com are a part of this future reality.

Jesus is still in the resurrection business. Forgiveness and healing have not gone out of style. The world still needs love. God and his church are not dead.

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