I just watched a YouTube video about the false narrative that there is a Gen Z revival in American Churches. https://youtu.be/l7Y-AF-Zt0Y. I’ve long been very interested in how Religion and Culture interact, and I’m sure YouTube knows that and fed me this video because if that.

What I found very interesting is at the end of the video the guy pitches raising money for his humanist church community center. I’m old enough to remember (and participated in) the rapid ramp up of the non-denom movement in the 90’s and 00’s. I can’t tell you how many “We’ve outgrown our building” fund raising drives I’ve seen in my life. That’s literally what he is pitching. 😂

This dude literally is the same guy as every one of those non-denom church planters. (If I’m willing to be generous) He’s a young, talented, ambitious guy with a real dream to help build communities for people. Good for him. (If I’m more cynical, then I know his kind too.)

But, even generously, he’s falling for the exact same trap all of the non-denom church planters fall for. If his private community center (or another like it) attracts enough growth, then it will become attractive to corrupt people. That’s a given. 100% going to happen.

I just find it so fascinating to see this cycle happen all over again, literally repeating the exact same language. (I don’t know the guy and don’t know if he just doesn’t know what he’s doing, or if he knows good and well what he’s doing. Could be either.)

(I don’t at all disagree with the thesis of his video. I’ve been an active Christian my whole life and it’s really obvious there is not any kind of contemporary revival going on. )