Church Times - Young not eager to be ‘Evangelical’

Church Times - Young not eager to be ‘Evangelical’

CHRISTIANS under the age of 25 are less likely to identify themselves as Evangelicals, even if they worship at Evangelical churches, a new report by the Evangelical Alliance (EA) suggests.

The report 21st Century Evangelicals: A snapshot of the beliefs and habits of Evangelical Christians in the UK, published by the EA and Christian Research, is based on the views of more than 17,000 people who completed questionnaires at Evangelical festivals and at churches affiliated to the EA during 2010.

Sixty-seven per cent of those surveyed aged between 16 and 24 considered themselves to be “Evangelical Christians”. This percentage increased with the age range: 87 per cent of those aged over 65 described themselves as Evangelical.

“These results could simply reveal that younger people are rejecting the name ‘Evangelical’, or that Christians start referring to themselves as ‘Evangelical Christians’ later in life,” the report states.

Andy Frost, the director of Share Jesus International, is quoted as saying that younger people “don’t understand party lines and church squabbles”, and that, for them, “the word ‘Evangelical’ has been tarnished by American political agendas.

“This generation simply want to get the job done. Evangelicalism needs to be redefined for them as Grace and Truth,” he said.

The report found that the Bible played a “significant role in the lives of Evangelicals”, and that 83 per cent of Evangelical respondents “strongly” agreed that “the Bible has the supreme authority in guiding their beliefs and behaviour.”

Of the Evangelicals surveyed, 62 per cent said that they “strongly” agreed that “sexual intercourse outside marriage is wrong”; 59 per cent said that “homosexual actions are always wrong”; and eight out of ten said that homosexual couples should not be able to have civil partnerships blessed in churches.

The report identified most uncertainty among Evangelicals over the topic of hell. A minority — 37 per cent — “strongly” agreed “that hell is a place where the condemned will suffer eternal conscious pain”. But the vast majority — 91 per cent — “strongly” agreed “that Jesus is the only way to God”.

The report found, however, that 70 per cent of Evangelicals believe “to some extent that Christians should work collaboratively with people of other faiths on community projects”. Nine out of ten agreed that “to some extent, it’s a Christian’s duty to be involved in activities that benefit the local community.”

The report found that Evangelical women over the age of 55 gave the most hours to volunteering; and men between the ages of 35 and 44 gave the least.