Gender Disparity in the Church
I came across an interesting article in Christianity Today about singleness in the church:
It's an interesting article, and it does try to offer solutions.
But then I looked at the research. In 2000, the Barna Research Group found in a nationwide survey that 60 percent of adherents to Christianity are women. The survey also looked at the number of each gender whose beliefs identified them as born-again Christians. Based on the results, Barna estimates there are currently between 11 million and 13 million more born-again women than born-again men in the U.S.
But what's startling is not just the gender disparity among Christian adherents; it's also the difference between men who believe and those who are actually active in their belief. Although 36 percent of men in the Barna survey were identified as born-again believers, only 14 percent attend Sunday school, 13 percent belong to a small group, and 9 percent have held any leadership position in a church. Each category's percentages were substantially higher for women.
It's an interesting article, and it does try to offer solutions.
Labels: singleness, the Church
3 Comments:
At 7:43 AM, April 18, 2007, Marianne said…
I've read this before, and by now my only reaction is: what am I supposed to do with this information? Panic? Run screaming into the street? Begin an "outreach" to single men by handing out tracts outside of sporting events and electronics stores?
Because, really, how do these numbers explain anything real? My real experience is that I am good friends with 5 single, eligible Christian men. I know...1 single, eligible Christian girl besides myself who is not already attached. The odds are, apparently, in my favor.
Because, really, we aren't playing the lottery, here. You only need one.
I fear that statistics like this allow us girls to be even more picky. As in, "Gee, if there were just more Christian men to pick from, I'm sure those guys would be cooler, more successful, and better dressed."
It's easy for "grass is greener" syndrome in this case, because if you're from as strict a household as mine, you're basically forbidden from dating a non-Christian. And we think there's some shangri-la where the men are somehow less...I don't know....inept? But really, my non-Christian friends have just as difficult of a time meeting someone. Those guys still never call back, say stupid things, inadvertantly insult the girl they like, fail to commit, etc.
And I fear, if we invite the men on this blog to give a list of Christian female shortcomings, we would see ourselves mirrored pretty faithfully in our secular sisters.
At 10:18 PM, April 18, 2007, Jennifer said…
I think I am done with dating. It's frustrating, embarrassing (for me anyways), and has been a total waste of time. So what do we do now??? Especially with not enough men in church. What a sick, sad world. (Sorry, shameless Daria reference)
At 10:47 AM, April 19, 2007, none said…
I used to love Daria. :)
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