Leading and Growing Churches in a Post-Christian America

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 — 2 PM to 8 PM
Park Ridge Presbyterian Church
Featuring Rev. Dr. Ryan Burge
A special event hosted by the new Worshiping Communities Committee of the Presbytery of Chicago

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Churches are headed into a time of significant and very challenging transition as America becomes more and more post-Christian, and organized religion becomes more and more irrelevant. Church leaders need to understand what this means and what the implications are for leading and growing churches in this uncharted territory. The Leading and Growing Churches in a Post-Christian America Workshop will help church leaders learn more about how religion and society have changed and practical steps your church can take to be a more faithful and effective church.

Dr. Ryan Burge, professor at Eastern Ilinois University and  author of the Graphs about Religion Substack, and other innovative church leaders will be presenting and leading breakout sessions. Dr. Burge will present two keynote talks and will be sharing about his personal experience of being the pastor that helped close a church. Other church leaders from across the U.S. will be leading the other sessions and breakouts. What you learn and your takeaways from the Leading and Growing Churches in a Post-Christian America Workshop will help you embrace what God wants next for your church!

 

Key Takeaways

  1. A better understanding of the societal trends that will impact the next 20 years of ministry
  2. Practical next steps about what you can (and cannot) do to help effectively lead and grow your church in the future
  3. Connect with other church leaders who care about the future of local congregations in a post-Christian America

 

Rev. Dr. Ryan Burge

Dr. Ryan Burge is one of the foremost experts on religion and politics in the United States – creating hundreds of data visualizations a year that try to help people understand the American political and religious landscape.

 

Born and raised in a small town in Southern Illinois, Ryan was an active member in a Southern Baptist Church through his childhood and teenage years. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at Greenville College (now University) in History/Philosophy. He then pursued a graduate degree in Political Science from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. His dissertation was on religion and political behavior in the United States.

 

After graduating, Ryan served as a post-doctoral fellow at SIU’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, before landing a teaching position in the Department of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University. In 2019, was placed on the tenure track and was asked to serve as the graduate coordinator. In 2023, he was awarded tenure and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor.

 

In the last several years, Ryan has become the go-to source for data on religion for members of the media, denominational leaders and other scholars. He has written for a number of websites including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and POLITICO. Most of his writing now can be found on his Substack – Graphs about Religion.
Zoom option: If you select livestream option when you register, you will receive a link 24 hours ahead of the event that will allow you to watch the 4 main sessions (the breakout sessions will not be live-streamed).