Top 10 Most Post-Christian Cities in America
1: Springfield-Holyoke, MA - 66%
2: Portland-Auburn, ME - 60%
3: Providence, RI-New Bedford, MA - 59%
4: Burlington, VT - 59%
5: Boston, MA-Mancester, NH - 57%
6: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY - 56%
7: Hartford-New Haven, CT - 56%
8: Rochester, NY 55%
9: Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, CA - 54%
10: Seattle-Tacoma, WA - 54%
© 2019 | barna.com
The Northeast leads the way in excellence for the rest of the country in so many fields. We have some of the world’s most prestigious schools, the highest rated medical facilities, and the most innovative technology companies. New Englanders are incredibly proud of their corner of the world, with good reason. We have beautiful mountain ranges, breathtaking coastlines, vibrant cities, and diverse cultures, not to mention the best sports teams. It is safe to say that although New England is small in comparison to the rest of the United States, it is huge in leading the way for the rest of the nation.
The latest nationwide poll from the Barna Group, however, shows a bleak outlook for Christianity in the Northeast. Watching our culture rush to become more secularized is like watching a race where the finish line is the edge of a cliff and the prize is a one way ticket to destruction. This is a competition where we don’t want to be leading the way.
Here is a quote from Barna’s latest study. “The most post-Christian city in America is Springfield-Holyoke, MA (66%). This Northeast city is the first of eight (in a row) from this region that makes the top 10. These include Portland-Auburn, ME (60%), Providence, RI-New Bedford, MA (59%), Burlington, VT (59%), Boston, MA-Manchester, NH (58%), Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (56%), Hartford-New Haven, CT (56%) and Rochester, NY (55%). The two non-Northeast cities to make it into the top 10 are Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, CA (54%) and Seattle-Tacoma (54%).”
Synopsis: The Bad News
The trend toward secularization is a growing factor throughout the United States. All 100 cities listed in the study have shown greater decline from the Barna Group study done two years earlier. Despite areas where we are seeing Churches grow and people being converted, Christianity is still declining. In other words, the growth is less than the rate of decline.
These statistics are consistent with “Pew Research” studies that show that the Northeast is less than 13% Evangelical, and a study from Church Relevance (which is no longer accessible) showing that 49 counties in the Northeast were under 3% Evangelical.
After closer examination of the Barna Group study, we might be able to see why these numbers have increasingly gotten worse in the past two years. The 2017 study drew their results from a period of 16 years from 2000-2016 while the most recent study focuses on a more concise group from 2008-2018. Yet this still reveals the compounding scale that things are getting worse for Christians in the Northeast.
The study is also done at random with a relatively small sample size of only 21,378 adults. However, based on their experience and expertise in doing nationwide surveys since 1984 and following the same rigorous standards, the statistics can at least be trusted in the conclusion that the trend is going downward for Christianity.
Furthermore, when we examine the data points that Barna used for questioning, we can see a deeper insight into the answers that go into determining the statistical analysis. The survey questions were not simply asking people if they were Christians or not, but how committed they were to their faith. In Springfield-Holyoke, MA, 87% of those surveyed said they had not read their Bible in the last week, 65% had not attended a church in the last six months, and 60% had never made a commitment to Jesus. This reveals that a growing number of people who claim to be Christians are not going to Church and, even worse, are not reading their Bibles.
Outlook: The Good News
Surveys do not tell us everything. While we can stare at a quick snapshot for hours and parse over every detail, it can be easy to miss what is happening right in front of us as time moves forward. A macro view of the world is going to be discouraging, especially when we feel powerless to make a difference on the global scale. We are small fish in a big pond. Our best efforts to fix the world’s problems will leave us disappointed, but focusing in on our circles of influence can help us see what God is actually doing in our midst.
As I have spent the last eight years ministering here in New England, praying for revival, and proclaiming the gospel from God’s Word, I have been encouraged to see communities growing in faith and outreach. What makes these groups unique is that they are NOT focused on the naysayers, the statistics, or the problems that they cannot address. They are working with what God has entrusted them and faithfully living out the gospel in their closest areas of influence.
There are some amazing organizations that are doing great work right here in our local communities. I have been to conferences with the “New England Center for Expository Preaching” where I have met hundreds of pastors who are committed to refining their craft of faithfully preaching the Word of God. I have gathered with Christian leaders throughout New England at the ministry of “Small Town Summits” who are focused on reaching those areas that are largely under 3% Evangelical. I have worked with “Overseed,” a ministry that is working to revitalize established cChurches, and I have been greatly encouraged by the study that came out of “The Cecil B. Day Foundation” which focuses closely on churches in New England of all sizes that are actually growing in their outreach. These are just a small portion of the ministries that I have been excited to work with over the past year.
I am convinced now, more than ever, that we all need to be faithful to our calling of sharing and articulating the gospel to our unique circles of influence. At Songtime, we want to continue to encourage people with the gospel through the radio and these publications. It is only through the faithful proclamation of the gospel that God’s glory will truly be made known to an increasingly secularized society.
Application: What We Can Do
Sometimes the big picture clouds the mind with fear and anxiety so that we miss the opportunities that are right in front of our eyes. Beyond the cliche of saying, “The darker the night, the brighter the light,” we have to see for ourselves what God has called us to do within the small circles that we can impact.
We need to focus on our own personal growth in our pursuit of Christ. We need to make a concerted effort to articulate the gospel to those in our closest proximity. We need to pray that God will do great things for His own glory and ask that He will open our eyes to see His majesty all around us.
When the obstacles before us look impossible to overcome, we have to look further down the path and see who has gone before us.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)
* The complete 2019 survey of churches from the Barna Group can be viewed at barna.com