Part 1: Key Strengths of American Protestantism in the 21st Century

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of American Protestantism the Past 25 Years

In an unusual departure from the style of this podcast, Thom and Jess look at American Protestantism in the 21st century, highlighting 10 amazing contributions and 10 abject failures. For number 21, the Rainers give American Christianity a “grade” they believe is objective based on the past 25 years. They will take four podcasts to take you on this journey.

1. Local and Global Humanitarian Efforts – Protestant churches lead in disaster relief, medical missions, hunger alleviation, and human trafficking intervention. Organizations like Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, and denominational mission agencies make a significant impact.

2. Church Planting and Innovation – While many churches decline, the 21st century has seen a resurgence of church planting, such as Acts 29, ARC (Association of Related Churches), and City to City, and church planting efforts through denominations.

3. Biblical Literacy and Theological Training – Seminaries, online training programs, and grassroots movements have provided accessible biblical education to both clergy and laity, increasing theological engagement.

4. Cultural Adaptability – Protestantism has shown remarkable flexibility in adopting new technologies (e.g., livestream services, social media evangelism, YouTube teaching ministries) to reach people in innovative ways.

5. Growth of Multicultural and Multiracial Churches – Many Protestant churches are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, reflecting demographic shifts in the U.S. and demonstrating a commitment to racial reconciliation.

⭐️ Helpful Resources ⭐️

➡️ Chaney & Associates - http://chaneyassociates.com/churchanswers

➡️ The Church Advisory Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@ChurchAdvisoryPodcast

➡️ Upward Sports - https://www.upward.org/ChurchAnswers/

➡️ Part 2: Abject Failures of American Protestantism in the 21st Century - https://youtu.be/w_BKn9iWxvk

➡️ “Why Conservative Churches Are Growing” by Dean Kelley - https://amzn.to/3XafLqE (affiliate link)

➡️ “Our Kind of People” by C. Peter Wagner - https://amzn.to/4l3jn8Z (affiliate link)

➡️ “Church Planting for a Greater Harvest” by C. Peter Wagner - https://amzn.to/3QSmtyZ (affiliate link)

➡️ Samaritan’s Purse - https://samaritanspurse.org/

➡️ World Vision - https://www.worldvision.org/

➡️ Acts 29 - https://www.acts29.com/

➡️ ARC (Association of Related Churches) - https://www.arcchurches.com/