By Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Almost 9 in 10 pastors see at least some current events matching those Jesus said would occur shortly before he returns to Earth, according to a new survey focused on Christian eschatology, or the study of end times. A study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research of pastors at evangelical and historically black churches found 97% say they … [Read more...]
Pastors Don’t Link World Events to Speeding up Return of Christ
By Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Like everyone else, U.S. Protestant pastors may be closely watching the recent events related to Iran, but probably not because they think it has anything to do with the return of Christ. Pastors are more than three times as likely to believe Christians can speed up the return of Christ by the spread of their faith than by backing … [Read more...]
Pastors: The end of the world is complicated
By Bob Smietana NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Most Protestant pastors believe Jesus will return in the future. But few agree about the details of the apocalypse. A third of America’s Protestant pastors expect Christians to be raptured—or taken up in the sky to meet Jesus—as the end times begin. About half think a false messiah known as the Antichrist will appear sometime in the … [Read more...]