![]() The Church Girls are back with vengeance! They have battered down the doors of the church and have taken up residence in pews worldwide. Just like when Jesus came storming into the Temple in Jerusalem driving out tax collectors with a whip, likewise the infamous church girls have driven out the men of the church. Men all over scattered and have taken to the hills and entrenched themselves in bunkers surrounded by barbed wire fences and land mines in attempt to save whatever is left of their masculinity. But night has fallen and the light of the church girl’s torches marching in unison to the “Boys Only” last stronghold gets closer and closer. The men know that the odds are not in their favor. They know what awaits them this fateful night. However, the few men huddle together and cheer one last hoorah before going into a battle that would no doubt be glorious and epic but assuredly have Alamo type results! If I was in Las Vegas, and I rolled into a casino (not that I would do that) with 4 to 1 odds on pretty much anything I played, I would feel pretty good about placing my bet all over the place. However, this article is not talking about a random road trip to Sin City (although I may have a few of those), this is an article about taking a trip to your local church and making a general observation. In most cases, if you were to visit any given church service on any given weekend in any given country anywhere in the world, you will find a common theme; there are generally more females than males sitting in the pews. Several studies (including the Barna Group) have proven that there is a widespread decrease in male attendance and participation in church worldwide. The ratio in general is pushing 2 to 1 (female to male). And that number virtually doubles to about 4 to 1 when it comes to single adults. This staggering 4 to1 ratio is what we will be focusing on over the next few posts. When I originally started to write the book “I Am Scared of Church Girls,” it was this number that I found staggering that was the centerpiece of my topic. At the time, I had no statistical data to back up that number outside just the local churches in Korea that I attended. Now, stats have proven that number to be an epidemic worldwide and now in Korea there is signs in our community that this number ratio continues to grow in an unhealthy way. This epidemic is real and deadly! So, what does this all mean? Well, on the very surface, a general ratio of 2 to 1 is clearly not good. Balance is important to all that we do in life; spiritually, physically, socially, etc. It is not uncommon to see some discrepancy in numbers throughout church history. For example; many church communities are older and many of the men have long since passed away and since woman tend to live a little longer this does add to the numbers. It was a little unclear in the American surveys whether or not elderly widows were included in the singles department, however, this mere fact of mortality does add to the ratio. Also in some places, men are often victims of going to war, which can lead to absence or death. Many men worldwide are highly mobile because of their jobs. This means they are not around long enough to be part of a census. This would also contribute to the disparity. Regardless, the numbers indicate a major problem. So, what does this 4 to 1 singles ratio mean for the church going forward? If this number is accurate than there is reason to be alarmed. If we firmly believe as Christ followers that we are not to be unequally yoked with nonbelievers than we can take this ratio to its many obvious conclusions. And one of those conclusions is that there are many faithful church girls who will never have the opportunity to be married and fulfill their desires to be a wife, mother, etc. Because of this reason alone, there will be many church girls who will reach outside the doors of the church to find a life partner. These conclusions have serious consequences we will discuss. I want to know how this 4 to 1 dynamic may affect the church dating scene. I also want to know how this affects the church community. And I also want to know how we got to this problem to begin with and if there is a way to fix this problem going forward. We are in a complicated time in church history and it is a direct reflection of our modern global society. I believe this 4 to 1 crisis represents many deep problems within our world and if we do not address it, we may have a complete church meltdown! Here are a few highlights from the Barna Survey of 2016:
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LUKE R ELIE Archives
February 2021
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