Pastor Ralph Diehl » urban http://www.ralphdiehl.com Thoughts on Life Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:00:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 CHANGING AMERICA http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2009/01/26/changing-america/ http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2009/01/26/changing-america/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:00:37 +0000 pastordiehl http://www.ralphdiehl.com/?p=450 America is changing. And has been. The United States population has moved from 20% urban in 1870, to 40% in 1900, to 70% in 1980, and now 90% urban in 2000. This radical shift in lifestyle has affected every corner of America. Consider the following differences listed by author Aubrey Malphurs:

Rural Communities Urban Communities
Status quo Change
Sameness Diversity
Harmony Conflict Management
Smallness Bigness
Established Mobile

These attitudes affect ministry in all denominations. Churches which were established by Rural-minded people are now frustrated trying to reach Urban-minded people. Church leaders cannot keep the church as it once was, but must minister to the new attitudes in our culture. And young pastors of these Rural-minded churches must understand the dynamics of the church they are shepherding or it will rapidly end in a split.

What is your own experience in this change of attitudes in America? Or do you disagree with Malphurs’ assumption?

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