On December 6-9, the Gallup organization conducted a poll of 1,027 adult Americans regarding their religious beliefs and practices. It summarizes the major findings of that poll here. Among the conclusions:

About 82% of Americans in 2007 told Gallup interviewers that they identified with a Christian religion. That includes 51% who said they were Protestant, 5% who were "other Christian," 23% Roman Catholic, and 3% who named another Christian faith, including 2% Mormon.

Sixty-two percent of Americans in Gallup’s latest poll, conducted in December, say they are members of a "church or synagogue," a question Gallup has been asking since 1937.

Based on the responses to this question, about a third say they attend once a week, with another 12% saying they attend almost every week. This means that about 44% of Americans report what can be called frequent church attendance — almost every week or every week.

This year, 56% of Americans have said religion is very important. Only 17% say religion is not very important.This year, 56% of Americans have said religion is very important. Only 17% say religion is not very important.

To summarize, more than 8 in 10 Americans identify with a religion and 8 out of 10 say that religion is at least fairly important in their daily lives; more than 8 out of 10 say they attend church at least "seldom"; and again more than 8 out of 10 identify with a Christian religion.

Theologians and other intellectuals often tell us that we are living in a post-Christian nation. But these statistics indicate otherwise. Read the final paragraph above once again. Roughly eighty percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians, attend church occasionally, and consider religion important.

As a pastor, I know that there is a vast gulf between people’s beliefs and behaviors. If eighty percent of Santa Barbara (where I live) is Christian, how come I don’t see those people in church more often? And why do so many Santa Barbarans engage in behaviors that are manifestly unChristlike? You can ask the same questions in your city too, I’m sure.

In my opinion, statistics such as these illustrate the point made in the most recent issueof Enrichment that we are experiencing a crisis of discipleship, not only in the Assemblies of God, but also in the nation as a whole.

• How do we distinguish authentic Christianity from cultural Christianity?
• How do we evangelize people who are already nominally Christian?
• How do we disciple people who consider themselves Christian but don’t attend church or practice the ethical standards of the faith?

What do you think?