PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (BP) – The rise of the “nones” or religiously unaffiliated might be waning, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in findings focused on Gen Z in the 2021 State of the Bible report.

Gen Z members also haven’t decided whether Scripture can help sustain American ideals including democracy and justice, nor whether the Bible is truer than the Koran and the Book of Mormon, ABS said in releasing the data Tuesday (Aug. 10).

Historically a study of how adults interact with Scripture, this year’s State of the Bible includes the opinions and perceptions of Gen Z, which spans ages 9-24, and studies Gen Z youth as a subset spanning ages 15-17. ABS compares Gen Z findings to beliefs and trends reported about Millennials and older adults in the same report.

“Zooming out, Gen Z’s halting steps toward Scripture are placed in the context of a meandering faith journey, occurring in both their generation and the nation,” ABS said in its report. “It remains to be seen how much of this effect will be cultural or generational – a matter of fact or a matter of time.

“In this study, at least, both segments of Gen Z (36 percent of Gen Z youth and adults) as well as Millennials (34 percent) are equally likely to be non-Christians, and recent data suggest the so-called ‘rise of the Nones’ (religiously unaffiliated people) may be stalling.”

Gen Z members are exploring, questioning their beliefs and seeking their path in the world, ABS said, which could lead to various outcomes that either deconstruct, weaken or strengthen their faith.

“As Gen Z wrestles with the tumult of emerging adulthood, the Bible can provide them with guidance to navigate challenges and opportunities with wisdom and grace,” ABS said. “However, Gen Z – especially Gen Z youth – has a precarious relationship with the Bible.”

Among findings:

10 percent of Gen Z youth, 17 percent of Gen Z and 21 percent of Millennials describe themselves as practicing Christians;
54 percent of Gen Z youth, 47 percent of Gen Z and 45 percent of Millennials describe themselves as non-practicing Christians;
36 percent of both Gen Z youth and Gen Z adults said they are non-Christian, compared to 34 percent of Millennials;
81 percent of Gen Z youth and 74 percent of Gen Z adults said they are curious about Scripture;
64 percent of Gen Z youth said they wished they read the Bible more;
33 percent of Gen Z said they “neither agree nor disagree” that the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon are “all different expressions of the same spiritual truths;”
Gen Z youth were more likely than older Gen Z members to say they “neither agree nor disagree” that Scripture is essential to upholding Democracy (51 percent of Gen Z youth vs. 34 percent of Gen Z adults), essential to upholding justice (37 percent vs. 26 percent), love (30 percent vs. 19 percent), and hope (29 percent vs. 18 percent);
35 percent of Gen Z said they strongly disagree or somewhat disagree that, “The Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life,” while 27 percent said they neither agree nor disagree.

“While Gen Z was not decided on key questions,” ABS said it “could not say whether the responses were the result of indecision or relativism.

“For all the handwringing about Millennials, Gen Z’s immediate elders suggest the picture can change significantly even in one’s late twenties and thirties, where adults show higher levels of Bible engagement, confidence in their own beliefs, and engagement with their faith.”

ABS encourages churches to “support faith formation for emerging adults by welcoming their questions and helping them engage with the Bible for themselves. In addition, Bible engagement, prayer and spiritual relationships have been shown to be keys to strengthening the spiritual formation of emerging adults, including those in Gen Z.”

The full report, based on research conducted in January, can be downloaded here. The online study included 3,354 complete responses from a sample of adults representative of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including 91 Gen Z youth ages 15-17.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.(BP) – Christian Women’s Leadership Center, an initiative of Woman’s Missionary Union, has offered lifelong learning opportunities for Christian women for more than 20 years.

While the Leadership Center’s overall vision and goals remain unchanged, the practical details of providing those learning opportunities are continually being fine-tuned to keep pace with growing and changing needs.

Today, “the primary component of CWLC is online learning,” explained CWLC Coordinator Kristy Carr, who also serves as national WMU’s senior hub manager. She said CWLC currently offers “nine solid, insightful courses for the purpose of leadership development.” 

The nine courses explore such diverse topics as “Women Leaders from the Past,” “Biblical and Theological Foundations of Leadership” and “Leading with Integrity.” The self-paced courses are available online to participants on a rotating basis each quarter.

Church and community leadership

The CWLC was established by national WMU in 1999 in partnership with Samford University. Housed on Samford’s campus for more than a decade, it primarily focused on leadership education opportunities for college women and networking events for professional women in the Birmingham area.

In recent years, the center’s home moved to the national WMU building as the CWLC’s focus shifted to “equipping Christian laywomen in the area of leadership in the context of their Christian faith,” Carr said.

As early as 2013, CWLC began offering online leadership training for women seeking resources in the area of church and community leadership. Today, CWLC has expanded to include a full certificate program for women who complete the nine online courses which represent about 150 hours of coursework.

“Through CWLC, we recognize and we celebrate the giftedness of women,” Carr said. “We seek to assist them in developing their gifts and skills in serving Christ as they undertake leadership opportunities and responsibilities.”

Helping leaders get out of the box

Ina Rios, president of New York WMU, was among the recipients of last year’s Candy P. Phillips WMU Leadership Award. The annual award, established in 2019, provides funding for emerging leaders to enroll in CWLC’s online certificate program.

Affirming the impact of her CWLC learning experience, Rios said, “For me, it gave me a deeper understanding of what’s required to be a faithful leader that wants to work within the Great Commission and it gave me tools on how to be a better leader.”

When it comes to pursuing leadership training and ministry opportunities, “women have to get out of the box,” Rios said. “We have to see things differently so we can see what the Lord is doing in other places and in other ways.

“When we get out of the box, we become energized. By being energized, other people get energized and the Lord gets glorified and the church gets edified.”

At the forefront of online learning

Amanda Martinsen, leadership development consultant and resource coordinator for WMU of North Carolina, serves as a CWLC course facilitator for the program’s “Missional Living” course. She said the course is designed for participants to examine “what it looks like to be on mission with God every single day, the way that God is using them not only in their churches, but in their communities.”

Martinsen noted that CWLC has been “at the forefront of a lot of the online learning” since its online courses were well established “long before the pandemic hit.”

“It was wonderful to already have that in place and to be able to point people to that resource,” she said, “especially in light of the last year that we’ve walked through of church looking so different.”

Citing student reflections about their CWLC learning experiences, Carr shared that one participant wrote: “I took these courses to become a better leader and, in the process, I became a better follower, a better communicator, a better planner. I became a woman God can use.”

As WMU emphasizes “making disciples of Jesus who live on mission,” CWLC’s focus on equipping women leaders God can use is one practical step in achieving that goal.

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The Christian Women’s Leadership Center is funded in part by the Dr. Eleanor Terry Endowment for Christian Women’s Leadership. The fund, managed by the WMU Foundation, honors the memory of Dr. Terry, who helped plan CWLC’s launch and direction. To donate or to learn more, visit wmufoundation.com/womens-leadership-development.

A group of Central Asian believers gathers weekly to pray for one another and for each of their respective ministries among Muslims in Moscow.

For just a moment, put yourself in the place of IMB missionary Andrew Lee*.

Imagine you are on a video call with three men from the Middle East. You lean in toward the grainy screen to hear their collective stories of how they fled their war-torn country and finally made it to Europe in search of a better life. They each tell you of their friendship with a believer named Abraham* who had also been a refugee out of the same area in the Middle East many years before. Abraham had a deep love for these three friends. He prayed for them for many years and shared the gospel with them when he could.

Envision yourself listening intently as the men tell you about their unease when they read the Muslim holy book. To them, the words seem to promote hate, spiritual slavery and war. The more they study, the more they see a god who is portrayed as distant, cold and indifferent to people and their pain.

They share with you that through friendship with Abraham and other believers, they experienced the love of Jesus and heard the good news. The men were fascinated by the Bible where they read about the true God who desires a personal relationship with people. Coming from a works-based religion with fear they would lose their salvation with any misstep, the men were shocked and overwhelmed with a sense of peace when they heard the truth from John 10:27-28 for the first time: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 2 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Jesus is the one who gives eternal life, and you cannot lose your salvation! Imagine hearing that truth for the very first time.

While the men have a growing interest in the Jesus of the Bible, two of them have not yet accepted Jesus.  They know exactly what it would mean: rejection by friends and family and possible persecution.

As the hour-long video conversation continues, you share the gospel once more with the two men and patiently answer their pressing questions. “Why did Jesus have to die?” “How can God have a Son?” “What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?”

Near the end of the conversation, you say to them: “What prevents you from receiving Jesus as your Savior right now?”

A deafening silence settles over the call. No one will look directly at the computer’s camera. You pray quietly in your head, begging God to soften their hearts. One man covers his face with his hands. Another continues to look down at the table.

Finally, one of them answers: “I’m not ready.”

The other man quickly says the same thing. Your heart sinks and you inhale a shaky breath, but before you can utter the first word of your response, one of the men speaks suddenly.

“Actually, I am ready.”

You exhale a silent praise for the Spirit’s work in this man’s heart.

Then the other man also speaks up and says he is ready! You can hardly stop smiling as you close your eyes and lead the men in prayer at the end of the call.

Praise the Lord for Abraham, Andrew and the believers who faithfully shared the gospel with Hadi* and Abu* who are now brothers in Christ. They are studying the Bible and growing in their faith.

You can join the story by praying for protection for those who are new in their faith and praying for the missionaries like Andrew who are at work right now building relationships and sharing the gospel. You can also help by giving specifically to provide Bibles to individuals just like the men in this story who are hungry for God’s Word.

Eisabeth Cutrer is a contributing writer for the IMB.

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“My question to you is what are you going to do to insure that there is an even brighter future tomorrow, in light of what Christ has done for you?” Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Adam Greenway said. He challenged MedAdvance attendees to write down their commitment to medical missions and lay it on the map, in what was reminiscent of an old fasted altar call at the closing of MedAdvance.
SWBTS Photo

Richard and Emily Barfell came to the International Mission Board’s MedAdvance conference in the middle of their application process to serve as missionaries with the IMB. Richard is a doctor. Emily is a stay-at-home mom of two little girls.

Their most pressing question right now regarding their calling is where to serve. Because of the interactions they had with seasoned missionaries at the Aug. 5-7 MedAdvance conference, they left with more clarity and encouragement than they started with.

“We are just open to where God wants us to go. We already said, ‘yes, we want to be missionaries,’” Richard shared. “We’re hoping to be on the field soon, but we just don’t know where yet.”

Conference leaders explained that MedAdvance is an annual conference for healthcare professionals, students and church leaders to:

connect with IMB missionaries and leaders for networking and questions;
discover how God is at work as healthcare missionaries share stories from around the world;
learn how to serve God’s mission at home and overseas using God-given talents, skills and experiences in the healthcare field.

The 2021 conference was hosted by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Registration will remain open through Aug. 13 for those who’d like to view the recorded online version.

By the first evening of the conference, the Barfells had already met two IMB missionaries. Both were serving in the Middle East. One couple, who has five kids, recently had to be evacuated due to political unrest.

Richard explained, “My question to [the missionary] was, ‘How in the world did you with five kids end up in [this area of the Middle East]’ Her answer to me was, ‘God just told me we needed to go there. We were just going to be obedient. And we had peace because of that.’”

The Barfells met another worker in the Middle East who is from their town. They’re planning to connect with the couple soon.

“The two missionaries we’ve already met were just obviously placed in our lives by God,” Richard said. “We’re just praying for more of that and for God to work through those interactions.”

Claire Duncan is a labor and delivery nurse. She’s in school to become a midwife so she can practice more independently. She and her husband feel called to the nations.

“I’ve just been really passionate about women’s health forever. I love my job. And I know my skills are needed. But I don’t know how to use them,” she shared.

She came to the conference to learn a little more about ways to put this passion to use overseas. Then her goal is to go home, pass her information on to her husband, and hopefully hear him say, “Sounds good. Let’s go.”

ABCs of healthcare missions

Dr. Rebekah Naylor, IMB’s global healthcare strategies consultant and organizer of the MedAdvance conference, shared that her team emphasizes the ABCs of medical missions to complement support the missionary task.

These ABCs are Access, Behind Closed Doors, Caring for Needs, Disciple Making, and Empowering the Church.

Naylor provided examples of how the IMB, through healthcare missions, is putting these ABCs into practice.

In a wealthy country, a doctor partnered with a for-profit clinic. Through that clinic, he has gained access to his primary people group of service from the local population.

In Central Asia, medical missionaries are granted access behind closed doors to Muslim women by providing pre- and post-natal care in the patients’ homes.  While meeting physical needs, they “share Bible stories and truths as they visit in homes,” Naylor shared.

In Africa, through hospice buckets, churches from the U.S. have been able to provide end-of-life care and dignity to terminally ill HIV patients living in horrific conditions.

As the U.S. churches partner with nationals, they care for needs. “This allows follow up by local churches. It is possible to express love and care to the patients and families and it is possible to share the good news,” Naylor explained.

Through an electroencephalogram, care is given to epileptics who, in many cultures, are ostracized. The doctor in the U.S. who reviews these scans, sent from a solar powered system overseas, diagnoses and prescribes medicine through local partners. He’s able to train and disciple nationals in this manner.

In East Asian factories, business owners have granted permission for health clinics to be set up for their workers. This is done in partnership with workers, national healthcare providers and local churches.

“They have found that the majority of patients they see opt to go to the gospel sharing station. There people from the local church are the ones sharing the good news. The response rate to the gospel has been 10-50%. The nationals are fully trained to lead. They establish churches within the factories themselves,” Naylor explained. In this manner, the local church is empowered.

This method of preaching and healing is what Jesus did during His ministry on earth, Naylor told attendees. The IMB’s healthcare strategies, “address spiritual and mental needs, as well as put believers in contact with unbelievers.”

“Let’s reach the nations together by praying, giving, going, and sending,” Dr. Naylor said, emphasizing the IMB’s Revelation 7:9 vision.

Health strategies advisory group

“The healthcare strategy network is the largest, most well-developed network we have in the IMB right now,” Dr. Rick Dunbar, chairman of the IMB’s newly-formed health strategies advisory group said.

In order to aid in these efforts, the IMB’s health strategies team has pulled together individuals from varied backgrounds for the advisory group. Their goals, Dunbar shared, are to:

promote health strategies within U.S. organizations such as hospitals, healthcare companies, seminaries, medical and allied health training programs;
advise and promote partnerships between U.S.-based organizations for support of health strategies such as education, exchange programs, community health, continuing education;
advise and promote funding for health strategy projects;
advise and promote the globalization of health strategies.

This diverse group will bring the perspective of their varied spheres of influence, from healthcare to business professionals. One goal is to help bring awareness to medical professionals in the pews of Southern Baptist churches that their talents are crucial to reaching the nations, and they can partner with the IMB to do so.

“People are dying all over the world for lack of healthcare and the majority of them are dying without even the opportunity of hearing of Jesus’ love and eternal salvation,” Dunbar said.  “Healthcare gives credibility and opens many doors globally.”

He continued, “When you see God at work, you better follow Him. And right now, we see health strategies as where God is working powerfully.”

“We have more healthcare providers now than we’ve ever had in the history of the IMB,” Dunbar said, emphasizing the same fact that IMB President Paul Chitwood shared in a video address to attendees. “But we’re not satisfied; we want more.”

Want more MedAdvance?

Attendance at MedAdvance totaled 325 people. Of those, 70 were students and 95 were IMB personnel. Registration will be open through Aug. 13 for others wishing to participate in the virtual track. It includes the breakouts and recorded sessions. The virtual track will be available to those who registered Aug. 20-Sept. 30 with a livestream Q&A session on Sept. 16.

To find out how you can be involved in healthcare missions, visit IMB.org/healthcare.

To help advance the gospel through medical missions among the nations, visit IMB.org/give/project/preach-and-heal-through-medicine/.

Myriah Snyder is senior writer/editor for the IMB.

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