Out of a total population of 333.3 million, 226 million people in the United States claim to be Christians. As we consider the church today, we can gain insight by looking back in history to see how and when the gospel was first brought to the United States. So, how did the United States get to this point?
How Was the Gospel Brought to the United States?
During the period of European colonization in the 17th century, Christianity was first introduced to the United States. As they were colonizing the New World, Spain and France brought over Catholicism as they established their new territories and settlements. The first missionaries who came to the United States were Franciscan friars—Catholic missionaries fleeing anti-Catholic legislation in Europe.
While many faithful disciples have been made, discipled, and sent out, there is a large population of what might be referred to as “cultural Christians”.
On the other hand, in the early 17th century, Puritans—who faced persecution in England—came to the United States for religious freedom, bringing over Protestantism. Their beliefs and theology grew out of the Protestant Reformation, which featured the re-discovery of the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Galatians 2:16). The Puritans’ venture to find religious freedom later became a cornerstone in the establishment of the liberties granted in the Bill of Rights.
For the following centuries, the roots of Protestantism greatly influenced American culture, and the Protestant population grew drastically in the 19th century. Yet, Christian roots do not mean the nation was particularly a religious one. In The Notebook of a Colonial Clergyman, German Lutheran missionary Henry Melchior Muhlenberg said,
During this past fall [1749] many ships have again arrived with German people who spread out in crowds scattered throughout the country. It is almost impossible to describe how few good and how many exceptionally godless, wicked people have come into this country every year. The whole country is being flooded with ordinary, extraordinary, and unprecedented wickedness and crimes.
What Does the Church Look Like Today?
What started with a handful of Christians has now grown exponentially to 226 million Christians in the United States. One hundred forty million of those are affiliated with Protestant churches.
While many faithful disciples have been made, discipled, and sent out from churches in the United States, there is a large population of what might be referred to as “cultural Christians,” in part due to increasing secularization. Since the Christian influence on the country’s culture has been widespread—with many churches in most places—many Americans identify as Christian. Yet, they do not adhere to and practice the faith, perhaps only going to church a few times yearly, particularly on Christmas and Easter.
How Can You Pray for the Church in the United States?
Given that secularism and religious pluralism are on the rise, and since fewer people profess to be Christians, pray for the church in the United States to remain steadfast and to remember that Christ is the cornerstone. Pray for more disciples to be made and equipped. Pray for the younger generation to establish its foundation on the gospel, not the world. Lastly, as the United States is currently one of the top missionary-sending countries, pray for more missionaries to be equipped and sent so that the gospel may spread among all nations.
Selah Lipsey is a Content Writer at Radical. She is a graduate of Samford University where she studied Journalism and Spanish. She is a member of Redeemer Community Church. She is married to Jeremy.
