Charismatic Growth
Interesting survey findings from The Barna Group.
Charismatic churches are increasing in popularity across denominational lines.
- one-third of all U.S. Catholics (36 percent) fit the charismatic classification
- nearly one-quarter of all charismatics in the U.S. (22 percent) are Catholics
- seven percent of Southern Baptist churches and six percent of mainline churches are charismatic
- one out of every four Protestant churches in the United States (23 percent) is a charismatic congregation
- half of evangelical adults (49%) fit the charismatic definition
- a slight majority of all born again Christians (51%) is charismatic
- four out of every ten non-denominational churches are charismatic
- only 16% of the country’s white Protestant congregations are Pentecostal, compared to 65% of the Protestant churches dominated by African-Americans
- the charismatic orientation is most popular among the non-white population – which is, of course, the sector of the population that is growing most rapidly
“It is not surprising that the Pentecostal community in America has been growing,” George Barna explained. “The freedom of emotional and spiritual expression typical of charismatic assemblies parallels the cultural trend toward personal expression, accepting diverse emotions and allowing people to interpret their experiences in ways that make sense to them,”
Survey Footnotes:
Charismatic Christians are defined in the study as those that say they have been “filled with the Holy Spirit” and believe in “charismatic gifts, such as tongues and healing, are still valid and active today.” The report is based upon a nationwide telephone survey conducted in December 2007 among a random sample of 1005 adults, age 18 and older.
from my notebook 