Many evangelical pastors are quitting their churches after basically finding out that their congregants have quit them. When that happens what kinds of pastors are replacing people like Kevin in a church like community Bible who takes their place? So I spent a lot of time trying to answer this question and we're starting to see that a lot of the pastors who are thriving are preaching in a way that really runs counter to Kevin's approach. They're picking up on these political themes and rather than trying to challenge their congregations or to add nuance they're reinforcing their beliefs.
Evangelicals make up about a quarter of the population in the United States and are part of the nation’s largest religious group. But lately the movement is in crisis.
The biggest issue is church attendance. Many churches closed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and struggled to reopen while congregations thinned.
But a smaller audience isn’t the only problem: Pastors are quitting, or at least considering doing so.
Guest: Ruth Graham is a national correspondent covering religion, faith and values for The New York Times.
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