By Bob Smietana NASHVILLE, Tennessee — More than 100,000 same-sex couples have tied the knot since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages nationwide last year. But for preachers, being asked to do a same-sex wedding remains rare. A new survey by Nashville-based Lifeway Research found 11 percent of Protestant senior pastors have been asked to perform a same-sex … [Read more...]
No place like church for the holidays
By Carol Pipes NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Christmas is a great time to invite someone to church, according to a recent study by Nashville-based Lifeway Research. In a recent poll of 1,000 Americans, Lifeway Research found six out of 10 Americans typically attend church at Christmastime. But among those who don’t attend church at Christmastime, a majority (57 percent) say they … [Read more...]
New Research: Americans Believe Church is Good but Dying
By Lisa Green NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Although most Americans believe church is on the decline, the overwhelming majority say they find value in attending. A new survey from Nashville-based Lifeway Research reveals an upbeat attitude toward churchgoing. Two-thirds of Americans think attendance is admirable, and nearly 9 in 10 call it acceptable. Only 11 percent consider church … [Read more...]
Half of evangelicals believe prayer can heal mental illness
By Bob Smietana NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A third of Americans – and nearly half of evangelical, fundamentalist, or born-again Christians – believe prayer and Bible study alone can overcome serious mental illness, according to a recent survey by Nashville-based Lifeway Research. The survey also found most Americans (68 percent) would feel welcome in church if they were mentally … [Read more...]
