| George Barna | |
|---|---|
| Born |  New York City, USA |
| Occupation | Researcher and author |
George Barna is the founder of The Barna Group, a market research firm specializing in studying the religious beliefs and behavior of Americans, and the intersection of faith and culture. He also serves as the chair for Good News Holdings, a media distribution outlet. The Barna Group conducts opinion polls, which are generally interpreted from an evangelical perspective, and often cited within evangelical circles. His research has revealed "a radical gap between what we heard Christians professing they believed and the values and the lifestyle that grew out of the values." [1]
Contents |
Background
Barna grew up a Catholic in Princeton, New Jersey, but has since converted to Evangelicalism. [1] He graduated summa cum laude from Boston College with a Bachelor's degree in sociology (along with a minor or secondary focus in religion), and holds two master's degrees from Rutgers University. In 2005, Barna joined with five colleagues to form Good News Holdings, an organization that produces and distributes media content in the form of feature movies, television programming, mobile content, Internet platforms and content, books, magazines, Internet Protocol Television technology and content, and music. Barna serves as chairman of the firm, which is located in the Los Angeles area. Barna leads seminars for church leaders, speaks at ministry conferences, has taught at seminaries, and has been a pastor. As an author, he written more than three dozen books on contemporary Christian issues, with topics ranging from children to leadership. He also writes columns which are published on websites for The Barna Group and Good News Holdings. As a result of his work, Barna has coined several terms, including:
- Mosaic Generation – the demographic profile of those born between 1984 and 2002;
- Theolographics – the theological perspectives and applications of people;
- Spiritainment – a portmanteau which refers to the blending of spirituality and entertainment, toward influencing people's spiritual perspectives.
He is married to Nancy Barna, and they have three adopted daughters — two from Guatemala, one from Russia.
Findings
Barna is known for providing critical surveys regarding Christianity and the state of the church. Among his findings that have generated substantial interest or controversy in recent years include:
- children are the most important population segment to minister to because of their spiritual vulnerability;
- Protestant churches are generally ineffective vessels for evangelism and discipleship;
- most Protestant pastors are neither called to nor competent in leadership;
- less than one out of every ten born again adults possess a Biblical world view;
- every church engages in marketing, but few do it well;
- mass media has the most dramatic effect on people's behavior and beliefs;
- alternative forms of church life — including house churches — are growing rapidly;
- a growing group of spiritually devout Christians, known as Revolutionaries, are embracing a post-congregational narrative that is reshaping spiritual life in the U.S.;
- most "church growth" is simply the recycling of church-goers from one congregation to another.
Selected Publications
- The Frog in the Kettle
- The Power of Vision
- Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions
- Revolution
- unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity... and Why it Matters, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
References
- ^ a b George Barna, quoted in Tim Stafford (August 5, 2002). "The Third Coming of George Barna". Christianity Today Magazine.
