IS CALVINISM STUNTING THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY?

Is the Calvinism of the twenty-first century slowing or stunting the growth of Christianity in the Reformed Church?

Key Point: Calvinism says that God chose certain individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world—not because of anything foreseen in them—but solely because of His own gracious purpose. Others were passed over and left in their sin. This is often called -election”—a key point in this doctrine.

Huh? Say what?

TULIP	–      Teachings of Calvinism

Total Depravity

Humanity is spiritually unable to come to God apart from grace.

Unconditional Election

God chose the elect solely according to His good pleasure.

Uimited Atonement

Christ’s redeeming work effectively secures salvation for the elect.

Irresistible Grace

The Spirit effectually calls and regenerates the elect.

Perseverance of the Saints

God preserves all true believers to the end.

(Although Calvin taught predestination, much of his work focused on knowing God, living a holy life, and the centrality of Scripture.)

Here are the main 3 doctrines on salvation, election, and predestination:

Comparison Table

Attribute	Calvinism	Arminianism	Provisionism
View on Predestination	Predetermined by God	Based on foreseen faith	Grace available to all
Human Responsibility	Limited by God’s sovereignty	Emphasizes free will	Individuals can respond
Atonement	Limited to the elect	Universal for all	Vicarious atonement for everyone
Key Proponents	John Calvin	Jacob Arminius	Leighton Flowers

These theological frameworks shape the beliefs and practices of various Christian denominations, influencing how they understand salvation and God’s role in the lives of believers.

Now, what about this?

Evangelistic Effectiveness Relative to Membership

Denomination	2024 Membership	2024 Primary Evangelistic Result	Approximate Rate
Presbyterian Church in America	400,751	5,678 professions of faith	1.4%
Presbyterian Church in America	400,751	3,083 adult baptisms	0.8%
Southern Baptist Convention	12,722,266	250,643 baptisms	2.0%
Church of the Nazarene	2,783,731	128,736 professions of faith	4.6%
Church of the Nazarene	2,783,731	231,084 conversions	8.3%
Assemblies of God USA	3,060,848	529,213 conversions	17.3%
Assemblies of God USA	3,060,848	168,421 water baptisms	5.5%

Overall Comparison

Denomination	Membership	Primary Evangelistic Measure	Relative Evangelistic Activity
Presbyterian Church in America	~401,000	Adult professions of faith	Moderate
Southern Baptist Convention	~12.3–12.7 million	Believer baptisms	High
Church of the Nazarene	~2.8 million	Professions of faith & conversions	Very High
Assemblies of God USA	~3.1 million	Conversions & water baptisms	Exceptionally High

One important caveat is that these statistics are not directly equivalent. For example:

• The PCA counts adult professions of faith and adult baptisms separately because it also practices infant baptism.
• The SBC reports believer baptisms, which generally follow professions of faith.
• The Church of the Nazarene reports professions of faith and also conversions.
• The Assemblies of God reports conversions, water baptisms, and Spirit baptisms.

Even with those differences, the data consistently show that the Assemblies of God, Church of the Nazarene, and Southern Baptist Convention report substantially higher numbers of new converts or baptisms relative to their membership than the Presbyterian Church in America. Those differences, however, do not by themselves establish that one theological tradition is more faithful or more biblical than another, since denominational reporting methods, demographics, church-planting strategies, and ministry contexts also influence these outcomes.

It is my (limited) experience and knowledge that most Reformed Churches elevate doctrines to guide their practices. The non-Calvinist Baptists have a more even-handed approach. They seem to use doctrines to explain the reason for their practices, while allowing a stronger spiritual connection between the two. While the Church of the Nazarene considers doctrines as important, they emphasize the practice of faith as more important and encourage acting on faith. And finally, the Assemblies of God encourage both but  put more emphasis on an inter-relative spiritual connection and an interactive approach when exercising the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit (although this interactive approach can be and is frequently misused and sometimes abused).

There is also no doubt that prevailing doctrines of a denomination will influence and direct the attitudes and practices of that denomination and people group. To repeat: These differences do not by themselves establish that one theological tradition is more faithful or more biblical than another, since denominational reporting methods, demographics, church-planting strategies, and ministry contexts also influence these outcomes.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS: And, no. I do not believe Calvinism is stunting the growth of the Reformed Church in the twenty-first century. God is sovereign.

And by the way. I am not against Calvinism. It has many excellent tenets and practices. But many of its points create heated debates within the Body of Christ and even some divisions. It is a good idea to remember that John Calvin’s “Calvinism” then is not like the one we have today. It has been revised and nuanced. And we, like Calvin, (even though Calvin taught predestination), focused on knowing God, living a holy life, and the centrality of Scripture.

The real goal isn’t winning the Calvinism/Arminianism/Provisionism argument. The goal is to understand what Paul actually meant—and then bring our theological system into conformity with Scripture rather than forcing Scripture into our system.

And please dear friends, let’s not let the matters of this doctrine bring divisiveness to our relationships and into the church lest you be compared to the scribes and Pharisees of scriptures about whom Jesus said, “You hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You (are) blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

Additional Reading on these matters: “When Doctrinal Views Collide”

Also see “Romans Chapter 10”.