Please Lord, Send Billy Graham Back: Only 4% of Episcopalians consider that a personal relationship with God in Christ is the most important relationship in their life.

"RenewalWorks" claims to be,  

"a vital ministry serving the Episcopal Church in a time when commitment to spiritual growth needs to be renewed" 

Their revealing white paper contained at least one alarming result of their research on "the spiritual life of the Episcopal" organization:

Only 4% of Episcopalians surveyed consider that a personal relationship with God in Christ is the most important relationship in their life.

See the tiny part of the graphic near the bottom right below,

Billy Graham is rolling in his grave.

Upon hearing this, Pewsterspouse exclaimed,  "If they don't have that, what are they doing in church?"

My response, "It is not a church. It is an organization of like minded folks."

The white paper explains,

"...among Episcopalians, there is a limited correlation between the call to service and spiritual beliefs and practices, making the church not all that different from many nonprofit organizations." p 8

Since they are not truly Christ centered, the Episcopal organization is nothing more than a non profit social club dressed up in religious attire that occasionally does some community service (while at the same time trying to spread a false gospel).

The false gospel has at its root doctrinal laziness and/or unbelief. The survey seems to indicate that a large percentage of Episcopalians say the Nicene Creed with their fingers crossed.

"Fifty-seven percent of Episcopal respondents stated that they very strongly believe in the doctrine of the Trinity" 

The data is credible as it was obtained mostly from regular Sunday attendees,

"Seventy-five percent report that they attend Sunday service three to four times per month"

Those who keep coming back are the ones who were polled, and they naturally reported the following,

"Sixty percent are extremely or very satisfied with the Sunday service’s role in supporting their spiritual growth."

If they were not satisfied, they wouldn't come back, but in spite of the satisfaction, the majority sense that they are missing something,

 "Fifty-five percent of Episcopal congregations fit in an archetype described as troubled. It may be helpful to think of them as restless or hungry (rather than conflicted or in crisis). Basically, these congregations are marked by a desire for greater spiritual growth; they have a hankering for more from their church, and in particular, from their clergy. They are not satisfied with what they are receiving"

The problem is that the pewsitters can't know what they are missing because they don't do their homework, and they probably have never been told that they must do their homework,

"Overall, Episcopalians engage in daily spiritual practices at a much lower rate than people in other denominations. For instance, only 14 percent report they reflect on scripture daily." p 11

Having been born and raised as an Episcopalian, having lived a lifetime as a member of the Episcopal organization, and having studied the decline of the denomination for the past fifteen years, none of this comes as a shock to me.

All of this highlights the utter foolishness of having Presiding Bishop Curry lead Episcopal "revivals", because one can't evangelize if you yourself don't buy into the basic Christian beliefs on marriage, divorce, human sexuality, and sin.

Those of us who went through "A decade of Evangelism" in the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina back in the 1990's know that evangelism to an Episcopalian means setting up coffee hour or serving as a greeter or a chalice bearer on Sunday mornings.

The white paper concludes with what should be obvious,

"Until parishioners are comfortable in basic beliefs and value a personal relationship with Christ, an ability to evangelize may be diminished." p 13

"May be diminished", good grief.

Please Lord, send Billy Graham back! His job is not done!