Comments on: Southern Baptist success? Maybe.

By: MORPHE: Movements That Change the World | Integrating Missionally – W. David Phillips

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:21:14 +0000

[...] this MORPHE podcast, David interviews author Steve Addison about his new book, Movements That Change the World. Standard Podcast [62:43m]: Play [...]

By: Southern Baptist Plateau? Maybe | W. David Phillips

Southern Baptist Plateau? Maybe | W. David Phillips — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:27:06 +0000

[...] Roger Finke raises three problems with the trend of Southern Baptist success measured by larger churches and professional clergy. [...]

By: Southern Baptist plateau? Maybe. » Steve Addison’s blog Â» World Changers

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:54:53 +0000

[...] Roger Finke raises three problems with the trend of Southern Baptist success measured by larger churches and professional clergy. Congregational size is inversely related to converting new members, activating the existing membership, and maintaining high membership standards. Small churches are more effective in generating commitment and conformity within a movement. Formal theological training is a secularizing force and feeds the trend towards religious bureaucracy and religious doubt. A fully paid professional clergy is a financial hinderance to the survival of small churches and new church starts.For all of the above reasons, it was the upstart Methodists and Baptists that captured the US frontier, not the resource rich and highly educated Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Congregationalists. [...]

By: Southern Baptist Success? Maybe | W. David Phillips

Southern Baptist Success? Maybe | W. David Phillips — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:47:22 +0000

[...] could of days ago, my friend Steve Addison, an Australian, had a post entitled Southern Baptist success?Â Maybe.Â He states: I keep bumping into church leaders of different persuasions whose goal it is to see [...]

By: ant

ant — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:19:20 +0000

Steve,

Parse it all some more! I know you’ve got more to say on this one. This raises so many interesting issues.

By: David Phillips

David Phillips — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:49:47 +0000

Steve,

1950 is the year we started our decline! Or should I say, we grew at a decreasing rate begining in 1950 which led to a reduction in membership this year. This is very interesting!