I chose the image of a run-down church building for this post because it represents the spiritual state of many of the so-called ‘leaders’ and their congregations in modern American Churchianity – decrepit, decayed, and in need of some serious repair and revitalization.
As described further down in this Watchdog Alert, “Compared with 97–99% certainty among evangelicals and others, only 68% of mainline pastors affirm belief in God’s existence, and just 65% affirm belief in Jesus’s bodily resurrection.”
That is disgraceful and cause for major alarm among followers of Jeshua, our Messiah.
Southern Baptist Convention activists push conservative resolutions
At its June 2025 annual meeting in Dallas, the Southern Baptist Convention (the largest U.S. Protestant denomination) debated and advanced several conservative resolutions calling for a legal ban on pornography and reversal of same-sex marriage rights. Other stances included restrictive sports betting laws and encouraging pro-natalist policies opposing “willful childlessness.” The meeting also revisited internal controversies like potentially banning churches with women pastors and funding cuts to its Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
From AP News
Mainline pastors less likely to hold traditionally orthodox beliefs
A new survey from the National Survey of Religious Leaders found that clergy in predominantly white mainline Protestant churches (such as Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal) are far less likely than their evangelical, Black Protestant, or Catholic counterparts to affirm belief in core doctrines. Compared with 97–99% certainty among evangelicals and others, only 68% of mainline pastors affirm belief in God’s existence, and just 65% affirm belief in Jesus’s bodily resurrection.
From thebaptistpaper.org
Reformed Church in America navigating divisions and departures
At its June 2025 Synod, the Reformed Church in America highlighted how it has entered a “season of change,” choosing to “live together in disagreement” over issues like same-sex relationships. Since adopting a “generous separation” process in 2021, the RCA has lost 254 congregations. Some have formed new bodies like the Alliance of Reformed Churches or the Canada Reformation Network.
From thebanner.org
Denominational staff cuts and experimentation amid decline
Several historic mainline Protestant denominations—Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist—continue to face shrinking membership and budgets. In response, they’ve implemented staff reductions and are piloting new strategies to stay relevant. This follows broader trends of institutional skepticism and the rise of unaffiliated or nondenominational churches .