'Shocking' New Poll: Only 37 Percent of U.S. Pastors Hold a Biblical Worldview

Christian Headlines ^ | 5/13/22 | Michael Foust

[Roman_War_Criminal]

A majority of Christian pastors in the United States do not hold a biblical worldview, according to surprising new research from pollster George Barna, who says the data shows a spiritual awakening is “needed just as desperately in our pulpits as in the pews.”

The survey, released Thursday by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, shows that only 37 percent of pastors in the U.S. hold a biblical worldview.

Among senior/lead pastors, 41 percent possess a biblical worldview – the highest percentage within the sub-groups of pastors. Less than one-third of associate/assistant pastors (28 percent), teaching pastors (13 percent) and children’s/youth pastors (12 percent) hold a biblical worldview, the data found.

An accompanying report labeled the findings “shocking.”

“This is another strong piece of evidence that the culture is influencing the American church more than Christian churches are influencing the culture,” said Barna, director of research at the university’s Cultural Research Center.

[jjotto]

Here’s the pretty generic questions from a few years ago:

https://www.barna.com/research/competing-worldviews-influence-todays-christians/

[Big Red Badger]

It’s gonna be a Rough
Ride for Everyone regardless of location
But I’ve read the Book,
The Devil did It!

[jjotto]

https://www.barna.com/research/only-half-of-protestant-pastors-have-a-biblical-worldview/

… six core beliefs (the accuracy of biblical teaching, the sinless nature of Jesus, the literal existence of Satan, the omnipotence and omniscience of God, salvation by grace alone, and the personal responsibility to evangelize)…

[aMorePerfectUnion]

—> It’s like they’re in a hermetically sealed bubble.

Certainly hermeneutically sealed!

[vpintheak]

Sad, but not surprising entirely. To many, Church is not much more than a social club. You go there to get a feel-good, Jesus loves you! God is love! Message. You sing trendy pseudo-Christian songs that have a nice beat and make you feel good. You talk to your friends about their week.
You have a nice dinner at home afterwards.
Social club. Tradition. Empty. Meaningless. Jesus weeps.

[Hardshell]

Hagee? Cornerstone Church is one of those congregations who love Jews more than Jesus.

[Big Red Badger]

You said it Brudda!
YUP!

[cowboyusa]

Yep, they belive that Jews can be saved without YESHUA.

[Srednik]

Did you mean pulpit?

Check out I Timothy 3 for God’s requirements. Most obviously NO woman in ANY pulpit obeys God’s word.

Sobering

[sasportas]

Who gets to say that Pre-millennialism, Post-Millennialism, or Amillennialism is the “correct” Biblican worldview. And what about Preterists?

>A terrific battle was fought by reformers like John Wycliffe, John Huss, Martin Luther, the Anabaptists, many of them burned at the stake and by other horrific ways, such as what they did to the Anabaptists, for the basic truths of the Bible that so many of us now take for granted.

Enter bigbob, who thinks the fight is over for the truths of the Bible.

Clearly, the truths of the Bible, in this case, one of the greatest truths of all, the goal of every Christian’s faith, the kingdom which Christ will rule over on this earth, after having defeated the chief enemies of that kingdom, bigbob thinks not worth fighting for. Choose any of the views on the millennial you want, they all amount to the same.

How you view the millennial has everything to do with how you interpret what is going on in the world as we speak. Your worldview, in other words.

And preterism? It doesn’t matter if you believe we are living in a prophetic vacuum? What Christ said in Matt. 24 is not relevant for us today? Quite a different worldview there, I would say!

[Albion Wilde]

Only 37 Percent of U.S. Pastors Hold a Biblical Worldview

This was pretty much the same situation Martin Luther confronted when he set out to clarify the Roman Church's position on Bible-based teachings. Seeing that a great deal of ignorance, gnostic influences, and heresy had crept into the priesthood of the time, he began his step-by-step analysis of what needed to be set right, resulting in the 95 Theses.

[delchiante]

a core commitment from their site..

Teach students to read, understand and trust the Bible, grounding them firmly in the truth through a biblical worldview.
Be devoted to evangelism and to prayer without ceasing.

When looking at their site, to find a definition for their biblical worldview, it appears one can receive this for a price..

By enrolling in their university..

Defining biblical worldview or showing the survey questions appears not part of their core commitments

[Roman_War_Criminal]

It’s called Dual Covenant Theology. Hagee has yet to answer about it as far as I know.

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/dual-covenant-theology/

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Good point!

[jjotto]

https://www.barna.com/research/only-half-of-protestant-pastors-have-a-biblical-worldview/

… six core beliefs (the accuracy of biblical teaching, the sinless nature of Jesus, the literal existence of Satan, the omnipotence and omniscience of God, salvation by grace alone, and the personal responsibility to evangelize)…

[wgmalabama]

If I’m 6 for 6 does that mean I have or do not have a biblical world view.

[delchiante]

Thanks for that link. That wasn’t offered in the article..

So from the link..

Defining such a worldview as believing that absolute moral truth exists, that it is based upon the Bible, and having a biblical view on six core beliefs (the accuracy of biblical teaching, the sinless nature of Jesus, the literal existence of Satan, the omnipotence and omniscience of God, salvation by grace alone, and the personal responsibility to evangelize),

So, their worldview is defined as absolute moral truth exists and it’s found in the Bible..

Then their biblical view 6 core beliefs..

So we are to assume when they mean worldview, it’s not a world view, but a view of the Bible

I expect a little more world in a worldview definition..

But thanks for the link..

[fieldmarshaldj]

63% of Christian Pastors are not Christians. Film at 11.

[jjotto]

You are exactly correct!

My question is does Barna’s definition leave the door open for things like same-sex ‘marriage’ and abortion on demand as long as the core beliefs are endorsed?

[daniel1212]

"I wonder how they define “Biblical worldview”? Was it some sort of quiz where they decided if they answered the questions correctly or not?"

Barna would mean as Biblical worldview as in conservative evangelicals, and,

The survey’s findings were based on 54 questions in eight categories related to a biblical worldview. Within those eight categories, the only one where a majority of pastors affirm a biblical worldview is related to the purpose and calling of life (57 percent). A minority of pastors hold a biblical worldview in the other seven categories: family and the value of life (47 percent); God, creation and history (44 percent); personal faith practices (43 percent); sin, salvation and one’s relationship to God (43 percent); human character and human nature (40 percent); lifestyle, personal behavior and relationships (40 percent); and beliefs and behaviors related to the Bible, truth and morality.administered to 1,000 Christian pastors to better understand the worldviews that drive their thinking and behavior.

However, Barna used to differentiate btwn beliefs per denominations, as seen here, but it seems it has long since deleted most of those pages, or changed the link to them, likely as it became more commercialized. Sadly. And thus this last survey is of very limited value.