Paleo Protestant Pudcast Confessional Protestantism and Denominationalism
Feb 19, 2025
Conversation centers on the rise of non-denominational Christianity and what that means for traditional denominational bodies. They compare membership trends across Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and smaller Reformed groups. Topics include youth retention, geographic and class influences on church choice, liturgical appeal versus theology, and why institutions still matter for accountability and support.
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OPC's Slow Steady Numerical Reality
- The OPC grows very modestly (100–300 new members annually) and hovers near 35,000 total.
- D. G. Hart shares OPC figures to illustrate how small confessional communions can be stable yet not reach replacement rate.
Most Departing Lutherans Don't Convert To Rome
- Most people leaving the LCMS become unchurched or move to evangelical/non-denominational churches; moves to Catholicism or Orthodoxy are rare.
- Korey Maas emphasizes that high-profile conversions are a small fraction of actual departures.
Megachurch Non‑Denoms May Skew Older Than Expected
- Non-denominational megachurches were associated with Boomers and may skew older rather than attracting young families.
- D. G. Hart notes Burge's surprising finding that non-denom concentration correlates with older counties, questioning longevity of the trend.