American Christian Apathy

As a weekly Bible Study teacher (aka. Sunday School), I have often wondered why the majority of American church members seem to have little or no interest in attending a weekly Bible Study.

In a recent teacher’s meeting, we concluded that less than 40% of the church members in our church attend Bible Study. According to the Barna Research Group study done in 2000, only 19% of church members attend Sunday School.

In the way of example, this past week, I spent 5 to 6 hours of personal time studying for the lesson on Acts 17:16-34. The published times for Bible Study at the church I attend is 9:09 AM to 10:15 AM, yet we could not start the lesson until after 9:30 AM because of late arrivals. This seems to be the weekly norm.

Imagine what would happen if you showed up 25 minutes late for work every day or 25 minutes late for the latest blockbuster movie.

Why will people pay good money to attend a local community college or university to learn a new skill, or attain a Master’s degree or PhD, but will not spend an hour a week attending a no-cost, in-depth study of God’s Word?

The clear answer is priorities. In the American way of thinking, a Master’s degree or PhD has greater value than Bible Study attendance because more secular education may help me get a promotion, a better paying job, or earn me more respect with my employer or my professional circle.

I have a brother-in-law that is an associate pastor and he is routinely asked to provide Biblically based counsel to church members. There is counseling available for those thinking of marriage, couples with marriage issues, family counseling, youth counseling and the list goes on. The vast majority will leave the counseling session and ignore the minister’s advice.

Why will people pay good money to see a therapist or psychiatrist, who will more than likely counsel them from a humanistic perspective, but will not receive the Godly wisdom and counsel their pastor provides them free of charge?

A true believer will naturally love the people of God (the Church) and the Word of God (Bible) and will make both a priority.