Church attendance and Bible sales soared immediately following last year's terrorist attacks as people turned to religion for answers and comfort. One year later, many unchurched Americans are returning to houses of worship for more of the same.
While last year's increased attendance didn't last, church leaders say the anniversary presents another opportunity for evangelism.
John R. Pederson, senior pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver, is leading two services this Sept. 11. The church will be open for prayer throughout the day.
"People are still hurting, even a year later," Pederson said Sept. 10 as he prepared for the services. "We're trying to allow for a broad response to the trauma."
Pederson will stick with Scriptures in his message, rather than trying to offer a modern-day analysis of what happened a year ago. The theme, "Reflections on God's Grace On Our Times," is based on Lamentations, a collection of complaint psalms about the destruction of Jerusalem.
"The message will be followed by prayer and silence," Pederson said. "Even in what we consider the worst of times, we need to reflect on God's grace."
While he doesn't know how many people to expect this Sept. 11, Pederson said churches are still vital to helping people heal.
"Probably like many churches across the country, we experienced a big rush of people attending worship services immediately following the attacks," he said. "Not all of them have become Christians or have joined the church, but we have been able to establish good relationships. They keep coming around, and we're thankful for that."
According to Gallup polls, 25 percent more people attended church immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks. Weeks later, the pews had opened up again, following similar trends in previous times of crisis, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Augustana Lutheran is an older congregation, Pederson said, and many of the 600 who attend weekly worship services lived through World War II. Their memories helped them mentor younger members and calm unchurched visitors seeking answers in the face of tragedy.
"This is not the first time they've seen such trauma, and they're better equipped to respond than younger generations," Pederson said. "I applaud them for their role here. They've been invaluable in reaching out to those who are hurting. They let them know that God's grace is always with us, and life goes on."
An outreach opportunity
Just weeks after the terrorist attacks, church attendance dropped to pre-Sept. 11 levels as people returned to their normal habits, according to various surveys. The opportunity to evangelize remained high, though.
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Faith made a difference Many Americans turned to their faith for comfort following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to the Barna Research Group. During various national telephone surveys with random samples of adults during the last year, Barna's research found: -- One-fourth of all adults said their faith has been "the single most important resource" they have relied on since the attacks; -- Twenty-three percent said their faith has been "one of several important resources" that has enabled them to deal with the attacks; and, -- Two-thirds of evangelicals (63 percent) said their faith was crucial, compared to 27 percent of non-evangelical Christians and 20 percent of those who associate with non-Christian faiths. |
Gregori works with the Northeast Clergy Group (NECG), a coalition of 270 ministers in the New York area who have provided clothing, training, chaplaincy and other services to those affected by the attacks. The organization is developing programs to respond to disasters nationwide.
Marcos Rivera, pastor of New York's Primitive Christian Church just blocks away from Ground Zero, is president of the interdenominational NECG. As terrible as the attacks were, Rivera said, some good came out of them.
"There has been a change," Rivera said, noting that prayer and ministry events are now allowed in housing projects, some schools and on city property.
"People are more receptive to the gospel," he said. "You can go now and minister and speak in places where perhaps you weren't able to do anything."
The unchanged church
Despite churches' efforts to reach out to the unchurched, there hasn't been much change within congregations, according to studies from the Barna Research Group.
The Ventura, Calif., company has tracked the nation's religious behavior during the past year, conducting six national telephone surveys with more than 1,000 different adults during each interview.
According to Barna's research:
- 41 percent of Americans read the Bible in a typical week compared to 39 percent who said they did so in a survey completed three weeks prior to the attacks;
- 43 percent attend church now compared to 42 percent before the attacks;
- 83 percent said they pray now versus 84 percent who claimed to do so in August 2001;
- 22 percent of adults attend Sunday school, similar to last year's 19 percent; and
- 19 percent report being involved in small groups compared to 16 percent in August 2001.
H. Robert Rhoden, superintendent of the Assemblies of God Potomac District in Gainesville, Va., isn't surprised. But he said he's seen few surveys that have measured evangelistic success outside the church.
"Where ministry has really been taking place is outside the church walls," Rhoden said. "I think there has been an increased freedom of expression to talk about God, Jesus, prayer and spiritual things here in our area. It has really opened up the way for conversations like that to take place. You can sort of feel it in the atmosphere."
The Potomac District is not far from where a plane crashed into the Pentagon last Sept. 11. People were rattled by the attack, Rhoden said, and suddenly open to hearing about Jesus.
"We have heard about Bible study groups or prayer groups that have developed in places like government facilities," he said. "There is an increased sense of the need for God in our lives."
A greater responsibility
As New York marks the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks, city officials have decided to make no new speeches during Sept. 11 ceremonies. Instead, they have left words of comfort to the clergy.
"We expect big crowds at our churches this week, but we realize they're probably the same ones who sought comfort there immediately following the attacks," said Rivera, president of the Northeast Clergy Group. "The key for churches across America is not to be discouraged by lower attendance numbers the following Sundays. It's our job to go out and minister to the people, and there's no better time."
Pederson, the pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver, agreed.
"We never know how God is working in people's hearts," he said. "We are His messengers, but He is the One that makes the difference in people's lives."
