The Myth of the Dying Church (book)

The Myth of the Dying Church: How Christianity is Actually Thriving in America and the World is a Christian non-fiction book by Glenn T. Stanton, who is the Director of Global Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family. It was originally published in 2019 by Worthy, a trade imprint of Hachette Book Group.

Stanton's book argues that, contrary to popular opinion (in both secular culture and in some Christian circles), Christianity (particularly in America) is not on the decline, especially among younger people, but is in fact doing quite well. He makes seven arguments for his proposition:

1. Liberal churches are hemorrhaging members. Stanton argues that churches which no longer teach Christian orthodoxy (primarily those in liberal mainline denominations) are in a "drastic free fall". (As an example, Stanton discusses a Seattle congregation, EastLake Church, which was a fast-growing non-denominational evangelical church, adding around 100 new members each week and adding additional campuses in the area. However, when its pastor decided in a single weekend to embrace the pro-LGBTQ+ view, the church imploded, losing hundreds of members and millions of dollars in donations, so much so that the lesbian staff member who compelled the pastor to change his views after she "came out" lost her own job due to the drop in attendance and giving.)
2. Biblical churches are holding strong.
3. Church attendance is at an all-time high. (Even greater than in colonial American days.)
4. More young adults attend biblically faithful churches today (2019) than attended nearly fifty years ago.
5. Atheism and agnosticism are not growing wildly. (Stanton concedes that both have grown in the last few years, but account for only seven percent of all US adults.)
6. The Nones are not new unbelievers. (Stanton notes that the majority of "Nones" -- those who claim no religious affiliation -- are not a new category, but in fact come from families who had little or no family history of church identity, and are simply being honest in their views, as opposed to claiming their family's (non-existent) religious tradition.)
7. Global growth of Christianity is booming. (As another example, Stanton mentions the current divide in the Anglican church between the liberal Western churches and the conservative African ones, and records the comments of a "frustrated, white gay Episcopalian" that can only be described as racist in nature.

Contents

• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Foreword by Byron R. Johnson, Baylor University
• Introduction: What You've Been Told is True ... is Not

1. Is Chicken Little Right?
2. The Truth Is Much More Hopeful Than You Think
3. The Explosive Growth of "the Nons"
4. The Nones Are Not New
5. Stick a Fork in It: The Major Fail of Liberal Christianity
6. How Is Christianity Doing Globally?
7. Are Young People Really Leaving the Church?
8. Passing Faith to Our Kids Is neither a Crapshoot nor Rocket Science
9. "Is My Church Shrinking?" and Other Questions to Consider
10. How Can Smart People Get It So Wrong?
11. The Holy Spirit Is Not Asleep at the Wheel

• Conclusion: What the Future Requires
• About the Author
• Praise for The Myth of the Dying Church
• Endnotes
• Newsletters