Progressive theological shifts may be contributing to the steep declines in both membership and finances that mainline Protestant denominations in the United States continue to face, according to a recent report from the Associated Press (AP).
While circumstances vary, the March 14 AP News report highlighted a shared pattern among several groups: internal divisions and declining participation often follow moves toward more progressive positions on doctrine and culture.
The United Methodist Church, for example, lost a quarter of its U.S. congregations amid debates over the ordination and marriage of LGBT individuals. Its denominational workforce has shrunk by over a third since 2016.
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The Episcopal Church is the most recent to announce substantial cuts to its national staff, following years of declining membership and donations, according to AP. Episcopalian Bishop Sean Rowe acknowledged the church is undergoing a transformation, noting the goal is to serve a church that is “becoming something different than it was.”
“It’s creating networks on the ground,” he told AP. “It’s paying attention to what is new and working, and lifting that up.”
The Presbyterian Church and the United Methodist Church have made similar moves, downsizing staff and reevaluating their approaches to global missions and governance in response to falling numbers.
Scott Thumma of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research credits broader societal factors, including a growing skepticism of institutions and their centralized authority.
“You have people who are still interested in spirituality, some sort of gathering around something higher than themselves, but not in these particular forms,” he told AP. “There are a lot of religious and denominational leaders who realize that, but the question is what forms or structures are going to resonate with those folks.”
LifeNews Note: Rachel Quackenbush writes for CatholicVote, where this column originally appeared.
