George Barna

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George Barna
Born 1954[1]
New York City, USA
Alma mater Boston College,
Rutgers University,
Dallas Baptist University
Occupation pollster, market researcher, founder of The Barna Group[1]
Religion non-denominational Christian[1]
Spouse(s) Nancy Barna[2]

George Barna (born 1955) 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 currently serves as the senior executive in Metaformation, an organization committed to "helping people optimize their life journey."

Background

Barna grew up a Catholic in New York City and Princeton, New Jersey, but has since engaged with evangelical Christianity.[3] 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 and a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University.

Barna leads seminars for church leaders, speaks at ministry conferences, has taught at seminaries, and has been a pastor. As an author, he has written more than four dozen books on contemporary Christian issues, with topics ranging from worldviews, trends and children to church life, spiritual growth and leadership. He also writes columns which are published on the website of Barna Group. As a result of his work, Barna has coined several terms, including:

  • Mosaic Generation – the demographic profile of those born between 1984 and 2002. According to Barna, this generation is "very mosaic in every aspect of their life." He continues, "There's no attribute that really dominates like you might have seen with prior generations." Barna also describes this group as "comfortable with contradiction", "post-modern" and exhibiting "non-linear" thinking.
  • 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 extensive 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 teachability and developmental vulnerability;
  • God transforms people's lives in connection with a 10-stop journey that is surprisingly consistent across people groups [4]
  • Christian churches in the United States have been generally ineffective vessels for evangelism and discipleship;[citation needed]
  • most Protestant pastors are neither called to nor competent in leadership;[citation needed]
  • less than one out of every five born again adults possesses a Biblical world view;
  • every church engages in marketing, but few do it well;[citation needed]
  • 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.;[citation needed]
  • most "church growth" is simply the recycling of church-goers from one congregation to another.[citation needed]
  • divorce rate amongst born-again Christians is significantly higher than that for atheist/agnostics.[5] A more recent 2008 Barna report shows a closer divorce rate gap between born-again Christians (32% had been divorced) and atheist/agnostics (30% had been divorced).[6]

Barna considers Maximum Faith to be his most significant book. Others that he cites as being especially valuable include Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, Think Like Jesus, The Power of Vision, and Revolution. Since 2009 he has been a writer for hire, penning books such as The Cause Within You, for Matthew Barnett, which became a New York Times bestseller in 2011.

Selected publications

  • Maximum Faith
  • Futurecast
  • Master Leaders*
  • Pagan Christianity with Frank Viola
  • Revolution
  • The Frog in the Kettle
  • The Power of Vision
  • Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions
  • The Seven Faith Tribes
  • Think Like Jesus

See also

  • Emerging Church

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Third Coming of George Barna Christianity Today 8/05/2002
  2. ↑ About George Barna The Barna Group
  3. ↑ George Barna, quoted in Tim Stafford (August 5, 2002). "The Third Coming of George Barna". Christianity Today Magazine. 
  4. ↑ Maximum Faith, George Barna, Metaformation and Strategenius Group Publications, 2011, pages 15-23.
  5. ↑ "Christians are more likely to experience divorce than are non-Christians," Barna Research Group, 1999-DEC-21 .
  6. ↑ Barna Research Group, 2008 New Marriage and Divorce Statistics Released

External links

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