Posted on 09/04/2022 2:02:47 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
A new survey reveals that pastors of nondenominational churches are more likely to hold a biblical worldview than pastors belonging to all other denominations.
The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released the seventh installment of its American Worldview Inventory Tuesday. The latest wave of research released builds on previous data that found only 37% of pastors hold a biblical worldview and analyzes the views of pastors by denomination.
The survey is based on responses from 1,000 Christian pastors to 54 questions collected in February and March 2022. It examined the frequency with which 75% or more of pastors in a particular denomination agreed with 17 statements outlining beliefs that either embrace or reject a biblical worldview. Findings reveal that at least 75% of pastors leading nondenominational Christian and Christian independent denominations held biblical views on 12 of the matters addressed in the statements.
Even in the five cases where more than 75% of nondenominational pastors did not subscribe to a biblical worldview on a particular issue, the share of pastors who adhered to a biblical worldview on a particular teaching never dropped below 50%. The same is true for Evangelical pastors, although leaders in this denomination only held biblical views on just four of the 17 issues.
While at least 75% of mainline Protestant pastors abided to a biblical worldview on two of the 17 matters they were asked about, at least 50% of the remaining 15 subscribed to a biblical worldview on all matters presented before them. At least 75% of Pentecostal/Charismatic and Catholic pastors possessed biblical views regarding two of the beliefs they were queried about.
Between 50% and 74% of Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors held biblical beliefs on 12 of the 17 matters examined in the survey, while less than half of pastors affiliated with this denomination maintained biblical beliefs on the remaining three. Less than 50% of Catholic pastors held biblical beliefs on 10 of the items they were questioned about, while between 50% and 74% of Catholic pastors held biblical views on the other five.
The share of pastors of traditionally black churches and Holiness congregations who held biblical beliefs never reached 75% for any particular statement. Fifty percent to 74% of pastors affiliated with the traditionally black tradition had biblical beliefs on six of the 17 statements presented before them, while less than 50% subscribed to a biblical worldview on the remaining 11. The inverse was true for pastors belonging to a Holiness denomination.
Compared to their counterparts in other denominations, a far higher share of non-denominational pastors (90%) agreed that human life is sacred. Just 68% of mainline Protestant pastors, 62% of Evangelical pastors, 55% of Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors, 40% of pastors leading traditionally black churches, 35% of pastors leading Holiness denominations and 34% of Catholic pastors said the same.
This pattern also applied to the belief that “the personal accumulation of money and other forms of wealth are entrusted to a person by God to manage for His purpose.” Seventy-one percent of nondenominational pastors expressed agreement with that statement, along with 62% of mainline Protestant pastors, 57% of Evangelical pastors, 46% of Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors, 38% of pastors leading Holiness congregations, 33% of Catholic pastors and 30% of pastors shepherding traditionally black churches.
Sixty-seven percent of nondenominational pastors believed that “success in life is consistent obedience to God,” followed by 60% of Evangelical pastors, 53% of mainline Protestant pastors, 45% of Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors, 40% of pastors of traditionally black churches, 37% of Holiness pastors and 35% of Catholic pastors.
While many of the statements in the survey asked pastors to react to outlined biblical teachings, others described beliefs at odds with a biblical worldview. For example, one statement declared that “determining moral truth is up to each individual; there are no moral absolutes that apply to every one, all the time.” Just 15% of nondenominational pastors agreed with that statement.
Majorities of Catholic pastors (79%), leaders of traditionally black churches (76%), pastors of Holiness congregations (62%) and Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors (54%) actually agreed with that statement along with sizable minorities of Evangelicals (39%) and mainline Protestants (37%).
At the same time, 15% of nondenominational pastors expressed agreement with a statement asserting that “The Bible is ambiguous regarding abortion; it is possible to make a compelling biblical argument either for or against abortion.” Majorities of Catholic pastors (61%) and traditionally black pastors (51%) took the opposite view on that matter, along with 49% of mainline Protestant pastors, 40% of Holiness pastors, 35% of Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors and 26% of Evangelical pastors.
An overwhelming minority of nondenominational pastors (21%) believed that “having faith matters more than which faith you have,” in contrast to 37% of Evangelical pastors, 39% of mainline Protestant pastors, 45% of Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors, 55% of Holiness pastors and 68% of pastors of traditionally black churches. Similarly, just 21% of nondenominational pastors thought that “a person who is generally good, or does enough good things for others, will earn a place in Heaven.”
Thirty percent of mainline Protestant pastors, 34% of Evangelical pastors, 47% of Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors, 55% of Holiness pastors, 66% of traditionally black pastors and 77% of Catholic pastors subscribed to a belief that doing good alone constitutes enough to secure a place in Heaven.
However, 71% of nondenominational pastors subscribed to the biblical view that “When you die you will go to heaven only because you have confessed your sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior.”
Seventy percent of Evangelical pastors also believed that accepting Jesus as the savior is a prerequisite for going to Heaven, along with 64% of Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors, 51% of mainline Protestant pastors, 49% of pastors leading Holiness congregations, 47% of pastors leading traditionally black churches and 44% of Catholic pastors.
Similar numbers of nondenominational (33%), Evangelical (33%) and mainline Protestant pastors (32%) saw reincarnation as a real possibility, along with majorities of leaders of traditionally black churches (70%) and Holiness congregations (52%). Forty-seven percent of Catholic pastors and 43% of Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors also expressed belief in the possibility of reincarnation.
The Cultural Research Center did not elaborate on the remaining questions that it asked pastors to reflect on.
Hard to believe, but not impossible.
It probably depends on what the question or arugument is being discussed and in what context.
IOW, polls and statistics can express what the poll taker wishes to say, based on leading questions.
Totally believable. Denominational pastors are behold to their denominations beliefs and practices, which in many cases can be, and many times are, non-biblical. Non-denominational are freer to hold to more biblical views.
Nondenomiational is a denomination. If you have core beliefs, then it is a denomination. No such thing as nondenominational. Just like saying you are non-partisan. BS! If you have core beliefs, then you come from a certain point of view which has biases. Other than that, it is a very interesting and not surprising article.
As it says in Revelation:
"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.'
1. "Non-denomination" is a denomination. I once heard a Lutheran pastor say that "non-denominational" pastors are mostly Baptists who don't want to say so.
He could be right. Every "non-denominational" Christian I have met or heard speak sounded like some sort of Protestant evangelical dispensationalist.
2. A Catholic, a Lutheran, a Greek Orthodox, a Pentecostal might all compile a different list of "Biblical Christian" ideas. Each will perform 100% Biblical on their own list, and all the others will fall short of 100%.
Yes, I'm sure Catholics are "less Biblical" by the standards of "non-denominational" pastors. But the latter are "less Biblical" by Catholic standards.
So what does that prove? Anything?
I get what you’re saying, but generally “non-denom” means you aren’t part of some broader church structure. The individual congregation is independent, the pastor answers only to his congregation and elders.
The specific questions quoted here are about the source for moral truth, abortion, and whether or not belief in Christ is necessary for salvation.
They didn’t go into issues that typically divide Christians.
From the linked survey results in the linked article:
One-third or more of senior pastors believe:
• Sexual relations between two unmarried people who believe they love each other is morally acceptable.
• Determining moral truth is up to each individual; there are no moral absolutes that apply to everyone, all the time.
• The Holy Spirit is not a living entity but is a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity.
• Having faith matters more than which faith you have.
• Reincarnation is a real possibility.
• It is possible to reach complete spiritual maturity during our time on earth.
• A person who is generally good, or does enough good things for others, can earn a place in Heaven.
• They are willing to try just about anything once.
• Socialism is preferable to capitalism.
• Allowing property ownership facilitates economic injustice.
• The Bible is ambiguous in its teaching about abortion, enabling you to make a strong argument either for or against abortion based on biblical principles.
One-third or more of senior pastors do not believe:
• Human life is sacred.
• Wealth is entrusted to individuals to be managed for God’s purposes.
• Success is consistent obedience to God.
• People are born into sin and can only be saved from its consequences by Jesus Christ
. • They, personally, will experience eternal salvation only because they have personally confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior.
I did not see a complete list of 17 questions!
Thanks for posting this.
I suggest this goes beyond mere correlation to causation: It is a reasonable inference that those pastors chose nondenominational churches in order to avoid affiliating with groups maintaining views with which they disagree. I certainly would.
Most likely they’re told what to say.
I'm not a socialist, but that's not an unChristian belief.
I don't think God cares whether you're a socialist or a capitalist. Both can enter Heaven if they accept Christ and show it with their fruits.
Christ did say, pay your taxes. Paul said to obey Earthly authorities. There are limits, but for the most part, God is not concerned with partisan politics.
Interesting but weak. Interviewing pastors is fun but interviewing only 1000 is weak. Strong statistics need a minimum of 3000 interviews. Proof: 43% of Catholics interviewed believe in reincarnation. Empty stat. The good news is that America has numerous and strong pastors.
That goes right along with my experience. Non-denominational needs to seek out knowledge, not just read someone else’s
What is a biblical world view? And who decides if someone’s POV fits it?
It also depends on the Biblical interpretation applied by those judges. Perhaps they are somehow biased.
Except, of course, that Biblical interpretations will be varied among those “nondenominational”. That means they really cannot be lumped into a denomination having a specific dogma.
You usually see a church on every corner in those towns, each independent of the other.
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