Why are fewer American going to church? According to the “Atlantic Monthly”, 40 million Americans have stopped attending church in the past 25 years. While writer Jake Meador notes that some of those departures are due to leaders not addressing abuse in their churches, research shows the main reasons revolve around the demands of 21st century American life: work and professional goals, financial reasons, family needs, and more.
This hour, we talk with local religious leaders about how they view this shift, and what they think will draw more people to faith-based communities. Our guests:
- Reverend Lawrence Hargrave, retired American Baptist minister
- Reverend Shari Halliday-Quan, lead minister at First Unitarian Church of Rochester
- Reverend Deb Swift, pastor of South Presbyterian Church
