Charismatic churches are growing in number in the Unites States, but many Americans still have inaccurate assumptions about the particular brand of Christianity, according to surveys released Monday.
Many people believe that charismatic Christianity is almost exclusively a Protestant phenomenon, but research shows that one-third of all U.S. Catholics (36 percent) fit the charismatic classification, according to the new Barna study. And nearly one-quarter of all charismatics in the U.S. (22 percent) are Catholics.
Charismatic Christians are defined in the study as those that say they have been “filled with the Holy Spirit” and believe in “charismatic gifts, such as tongues and healing, are still valid and active today.”
Another misconception is that charismatic churches belong to a strictly separate group of denominations. In reality, charismatic churches have crossed denominational boundaries in recent years. A Barna survey of senior pastors reveals that seven percent of Southern Baptist churches and six percent of mainline churches are charismatic.
There are also widespread beliefs that charismatic churches tend to be small, relatively unsophisticated congregations that are more likely to be led by female pastors. However, research suggests that congregations are about the same size as those of non-charismatic Protestant churches and are also actually more likely to use technological applications – including large screen projection systems – evaluated in the study.
Moreover, charismatic and non-charismatic Protestant churches have the same portion of churches led by a female senior pastor (nine percent).
Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians over the past decade have grown from about 30 percent to 36 percent of American adults, or about 80 million people. One out of every four Protestant churches in the United States (23 percent) is a charismatic congregation.
George Barna, who directed the research projects, commented that the growth in the charismatic and Pentecostal movements in America is not surprising because it matches the current cultural trend in mainstream society.
