The Coming Collapse of Evangelicalism

It has been said before, and it must be said again. Evangelicalism as a movement is dying and in fact as good as dead. As it has been written:

We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.

Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.

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I agree with Dr. White's assessment of the article:

The reason more and more people are godless and religionless and in love with secular humanism is not merely due to a "failure" of evangelicalism. Let's face it: America follows Europe's lead, and as God has blessed the USA greatly with material blessings, we have become more and more hardenend in our thanklessness. We focus upon ourselves, our needs, and revel in our sins. Yes, of course the church has failed to clearly preach the gospel, clearly call for repentance, choosing a man-friendly version of "preaching" that allows you to avoid the scandal of the gospel. But a healthy, thriving church is a blessing on any nation, and the fact is, a nation in love with itself and at war with God does not deserve the blessing of a sound church. The two are intertwined. I truly believe that what we are seeing today with the perversion of marriage, the exaltation of deviancy, etc., is not what will bring the wrath of God, it is the wrath of God.

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The Singapore churches will not be exempt from this coming collapse. Already, the signs are here, for those who can see them. The Singapore churches are way too dependent on the American churches for their spiritual life and support, and whatever nonsense exists in American Evangelicalism will find its way to Singapore Evangelicalism sooner or later. Witness the popularity of the Word-faith teaching, Neo-Orthodoxy, Purpose Driven Movement, Seeker-sensitive movement etc, all of which are imported from America (or Europe to a smaller extent). The Emerging Church Movement is coming and has already come (in the academic circles for now), not to mention the New Perspective on Paul.

I shudder to think of the future. Unless God raises up godly pastors and elders and leaders, we are doomed. We need men who will not be tainted by the heresies of yesterday, men who refuse to compromise the faith but contend for it. May the Lord raise up such men for the ministry, for the edification of the Church.