It's Thursday, September 28, 2023.

I'm Albert Moller, and this is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from

a Christian worldview.

The collapse of mainline liberal Protestantism is now a fact of several decades.

It's irrefutable.

That reality has been very clear, basically since the 1960s and the 1970s.

We understand as evangelicals that theology is a great deal to do with this, but we also

understand that there's a larger context of secularization that is also playing a part.

You look at the surveys and the research indicating church attendance, and you look at it decade-by-decade,

it has been decreasing across the board, even among those who identify in some way as evangelical.

But at the same time, there's a clear theological distinction.

That distinction is between the more evangelical churches and denominations that, though also

in some cases experiencing decline, have been at least showing real genuine lasting strength

and mainline Protestantism that is on the precipice of a chasm.

And yet at the same time, one of the facts on the ground related to liberal Protestantism

is that, on political and moral and theological issues, it has become a fascinating thing

to watch as we just observe how liberal, liberal Protestantism can actually become.

But then there's another reality, and this has been more rarely discussed, looking at

the mainline Protestant denominations.

The fact is this, the clergy are far more liberal than the members of many of these churches.

Now if you think about it for a moment, that's actually understandable.

You have a liberal preacher, a liberal pastor, in say, Episcopal churches, you have a liberal priest.

...