Re:Vision: The Key to Transforming Your Church

by Aubrey Malphurs

In contrast to the stagnant condition of the church, cults and non-Christian groups continue to grow. In the United States, the Mormons have grown from 2,487,000 to 3,158,000 from 1990 to 2008.[10] The Jehovah’s Witnesses have increased from 1,381,000 to 1,914,000 in the same time frame.[11] Between 1990 and 2008 the number of adherents to Islam expanded from 527,000 to 1,349,000.[12] Those who follow Buddhism have enlarged their camp from 404,000 to 1,189,000 during the same period.[13] The fastest growing religious group has been the Wiccans, who have increased dramatically from 8,000 in 1990 to 342,000 in 2008.[14] The table below shows the growth rates for various cults and non-Christian groups and compares them to the growth rate in the church. Total Growth, Percentage of Growth, and Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) for Cults and Non-Christian Groups Compared with the Church in the United States Group Total Growth Years Percentage of Growth Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) Mormons 2,487,000–3,158,000 1990–2008 (18 years) 27% 1.3% Jehovah’s Witnesses 1,381,000–1,914,000 1990–2008 (18 years) 39% 1.8% Muslims 527,000–1,349,000 1990–2008 (18 years) 156% 5.4% Buddhists 404,000–1,189,000 1990–2008 (18 years) 194% 6.2% Wiccans 8,000–342,000 1990–2008 (18 years) 4,175% 23.2% U.S. Population (U.S. Census Bureau) 248,709,873–308,745,538 1990–2010 (20 years) 24.1% 1.1% U.S. Church Attendance 51,800...

Noticable growth in non-Christian beliefs