Growth Projections of World Religions 1

Last week, the Pew Research Center released an extensive report on the future populations of different world religions. Though there is troubling information here, this is a fascinating work providing a sobering reality of our world.

Here are a few of the projections from 2010-2050:

• In the United States, Christians are expected to decline from 76% to 66% of the population.
• In the United States, the unaffiliated are expected to increase from 16% to 26% of the population.
• In the United States, Muslims will outnumber Jews.
• In the United States, the Hindu population will double.
• Europe’s Christian population will decrease by 100 million.
• Europe’s Hindu population will double, Muslims will comprise 10% of the population, and the unaffiliated will reach about a quarter of the population.
• 4 out of 10 Christians in the world will live in sub-Sahara Africa.
• The global number of Muslims will nearly equal the number of Christians.
• The global Buddhist population will remain the same.
• The global unaffiliated will decline in population.

Such predictions are difficult to make with accuracy. However, this report should lead us to prayer, more intentional disciple-making, healthy questioning of our present structures and institutions, and the avoidance of burying our heads in the sand and ignoring the possible future.

Unfortunately, most churches, denominations, networks, mission agencies, and seminaries will continue with business as usual. I hope yours is not one of them.

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Lord willing, on April 17, David Garrison is my guest on Strike the Match. We will be discussing his latest book A Wind in the House of Islam, which I think is timely given last week’s growth projections by the Pew Research Center. Subscribe at iTunes or through RSS so you will not miss an episode.