This is very interesting, although I’ve heard this anecdotally for years, here are some real results. From On Religion via The Catholic Herald.
When they set out to find growing mainline churches, sociologist David Haskell and historian Kevin Flatt did the logical thing – they asked leaders of four key Canadian denominations to list their successful congregations.
It didn’t take long, however, to spot a major problem as the researchers contacted these Anglican, United Church, Presbyterian and Evangelical Lutheran parishes.
“Few, if any, of the congregations these denomination’s leaders named were actually growing,” said Haskell, who teaches at Wilfrid Laurier University in Branford, Ontario. “A few had experienced a little bit of growth in one or two years in the past, but for the most part they were holding steady, at best, or actually in steady declines.”
To find thriving congregations in these historic denominations, Haskell and Flatt, who teaches at Redeemer University College in Hamilton, had to hunt on their own. By word of mouth, they followed tips from pastors and lay leaders to other growing mainline churches.
The bottom line: The faith proclaimed in growing churches was more orthodox – especially on matters of salvation, biblical authority and the supernatural – than in typical mainline congregations. These churches were thriving on the doctrinal fringes of shrinking institutions.
“The people running these old, established denominations didn’t actually know much about their own growing churches,” said Haskell, reached by telephone. “Either that or they didn’t want to admit which churches were growing.”
I found that fascinating, the growing churches, are simply putting their head down and growing the church, but they are not really telling the hierarchs what they are doing. I can’t say I’m surprised, though, I can remember when I was a trustee of my home church, even the council paid no attention to the mission fundraising, we were a fairly conservative E & R church in the maelstrom of the UCC, it was not a happy combination. You know, we traditional types were not enamored of supporting Dr. Jeremiah Wright, who was and is a part of the UCC. Continuing:
In growing congregations, all the clergy interviewed said it was crucial to encourage non-Christians to convert. In declining ones, only half the clergy agreed.
The study found that, in growing churches, pastors were even more orthodox than their congregations. In declining ones, the pastors were even more liberal.
Growing congregations were likely to be younger and have more children.
I don’t really think I have much to add to that, except that I told you so, and so did a lot of others here. A lot of the mainstream churches have become political clubs, or as I said once, coffee shops full of do-gooders, not houses of God. Well, the ones that remember the mission seem to be progressing in the mission.
Funny how that works, isn’t it?
All Along the Watchtower 
Y’all just have tot forget all this stuff and cozy up to the Catholic Pope. Haven’t you heard that doctrines are not to be held unequivocably but modified to every individual’s circumstance and need? Rigidity to doctrine is nothing more than pharisaical clericalism. Doctrine should be thought of as guidelines for those who can abide with it. Otherwise, it is OK to break them . . . God understands.
And of course, we have Pope Francis telling us that “proselytism is solemn nonsense” and that “proselytism is the strongest venom against the path of ecumenism.”
I guess that means that one faith is as good as another and that it really doesn’t matter anyway.
The world just needs to get behind the wrecking ball that is now pounding down the fortress walls of the City of God. A new global city will take its place that is kinder and gentler and befeft of rules and solemn nonsense, you know?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny thing about that, it’s one of those places that reality overrides what the Pope, and a whole lot of Lutheran bishops, say. I’m inclined to think, that like Brexit, Trump, and some other things, a new wind is blowing, and may sweep much away. We will see, but it feels like a new day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It may in this new secular tail that wags the dog. Truly it is a sad day when the secular backlash is more concerned with traditional thought (such as adherence to doctrines and evangelization) than the leaders of our faiths.
LikeLiked by 1 person
To a point, I agree, but they have always been intertwined, in our society. In America, we’ve separated them more than most, but even here, only to a degree. Sometimes it goes this way, sometimes the other. We forget that one of the main causes of the Revolution was the attempt to impose the Episcopacy on New England.
I don’t think it matters much. The secular and the sacred neither function well when separated too far from each other. When they work in tandem, we progress. (But not Progressively) 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is true in as much that we have to live along side the secular. However, we were to live in the world and not be of the world. That has not been the case for some time now: the world is at the center of the City of God to a large extent. It is similar to what the Western World is experiencing with the destruction of their borders and the inhabitants of their countries being counter-European in their culture, traditions, laws and beliefs. It is an undeclared coup that is being invited to overturn the status quo and to destroy all that Western Civilization has achieved. It began long before the migrant invasion with the European denial of the faith upon which it was built. Maybe this is just another wakeup call for us to get back to the copybook headings again. But this time we will need to purge a large number of secular clerics from our midst as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Individually sure, but as a church it hasn’t been true since the time of Constantine, if it was then. The civil always has and always will intrude, it had a big hand in starting us off, after all. Hard to have the resurrection without the crucifixion, after all.
We don’t have to purge, they’ll pass from the scene from attrition, death, retirement, and drying up of congregants. All in God’s good time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You forget the power of the contagion of the young. I too, thought that the ‘spirit of Vatican II crowd’ who destroyed much of the faith would die out. But they are like cockroaches that run from the light. As soon as a dark day comes they all come out to infest the place and they are quite often worse than the ones that taught them their novel ideas in the first place. Purging is necessary . . . there has to be a consequence for those who deny or degrade the faith and try to destroy from the inside that which they could not do from the outside.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No I didn’t. I’m counting on it. Did you notice in the article that orthodox churches average younger, and with more kids, than heterodox ones?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not speaking of the article and the obvious connection between holiness and successful churches . . . only responding to your previous comment that did not reference the staying power of those who are heterodox.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But when they are preaching only to the choir, well they don’t matter much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In certain times they do. They act as a refuge or a bank of truth that awaits the favorable time when people will once again turn to Truth and seek out true holiness. Then they are there and can be found. So preservation is a noble thing during not such good times.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Additional, Europe has had what appears to be a death wish since at least the Second World War, unless they think much clearer about what they have accomplished, none of continental Europe, short of Russia will survice the century, well, maybe the ones who grew strong under Soviet occupation, but not the western ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
True . . . and the EU even rejected their Christian roots in their founding documents. I’m glad that it is breaking up. It is as it should be . . . empty of all moral goods.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a start, but only a start. As still again the Anglo-saxons show the way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Every blaze starts with but a spark.
LikeLiked by 1 person
True, and only a few have the love of liberty, truth, and the Way inherently.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Once the fire on the hill is unobstructed they will see it for themselves. They will either be drawn or they will be repelled. But when tides turn missionaries will be found all over the world . . . as they are at all times even in our own age . . . only at some times they are ignored and discounted. Sometimes the faith is ‘in season’ and at others it is out of season.
LikeLiked by 1 person
True that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It kind of reminds me of the prophetic words from the Apostle Paul to Timothy.
But mark this: “There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.” 2 Tim. 3
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it does, and I commend your scholarship, it rang a bell in my mind, but I would never have found it.
LikeLike
I can remember when I was a trustee of my home church, even the council paid no attention to the mission fundraising, we were a fairly conservative E & R church in the maelstrom of the UCC, it was not a happy combination.
JESUS STANDS AT YOUR DOOR. oPEN AND HE WILL COME IN AND SUP WITH YOU. hIS BURDEN IS LIGHT. You don’t have to be battered around with these fake false burdensome religions.
LikeLike