Church Leadership Challenges in the Twenty-First Century

Book excerpt: The twenty-first century consists of an ever-evolving diverse population (multiculturally, internationally, racially, and sexually) whose ideas and beliefs are as diverse as the population itself. This has caused the church to face challenges she has never faced before. There was a time when Christians were a majority in this country and were free to speak about Jesus, prayer, or sin without fearing repercussions. However, the twenty-first century has ushered in a paradigm shift toward something called "un-Christian" and "tolerance" culture. This new "pluralistic" culture is one where everything is tolerated/accepted, with one exception: Christianity. Church attendance is declining, and fewer people understand scripture or know anything about Jesus. Therefore, their belief systems do not align with scripture. Church leaders must step out of the "church bubble," face today's world, and plan how they will meet these challenges. In this book, the author discusses the following twelve major challenges confronting twenty-first-century church leaders as well as some strategies for meeting these challenges and reversing negativity: un-Christian phenomenon, blending the generational groups, religious pluralism vs. exclusivism, open theism vs. classical theism, gender-neutral Bible controversy, egalitarianism vs. complementarianism, LGBTQ conversation, postmodernism and religion, futurism vs. preterism, biblical illiteracy in the church, the need for racial reconciliation, and continual disintegration of American families.