Survey: 1 in 20 Christians Cite Accountability in Church
There is very little accountability among Christians in the United States, a new survey found.
Only 5 percent of Christian adults indicated that their church does anything to hold them accountable for integrating biblical beliefs and principles into their life, according to the Barna Group.
Evangelicals were most likely to have some form of church-centered accountability.
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George Barna, director of the survey, stressed that mutual accountability is one of the cornerstones of the biblical concept of community.
"But Americans these days cherish privacy and freedom to the extent that the very idea of being held accountable by others – even those with their best interests in mind, or who have a legal or spiritual authority to do so – is considered inappropriate, antiquated and rigid," he lamented.
"With a large majority of Christian churches proclaiming that people should know, trust and obey all of the behavioral principles taught in the Bible, overlooking a principle as foundational as accountability breeds even more public confusion about scriptural authority and faith-based community, as well as personal behavioral responsibility."
The Barna Group, a research firm based in Ventura, Calif., surveyed 1,000 adults from across the country in August. The latest report is based on data from the 889 adults who identified as Christians and who reported attending a Christian church.
The most common form of accountability cited by the 5 percent who said their church holds them accountable was small groups. Around one-third said they are kept accountable through small groups.
Twenty-one percent said their churches limit or revoke membership for those who do not meet specific standards. Nineteen percent said they are being held accountable to individuals they're acquainted with in their congregation, and 16 percent said leaders follow up with them on activities assigned to them.
Additionally, one in ten said they have personal accountability to the pastor or someone else on the pastoral staff; 8 percent said they answer directly to the congregation for questionable activities that are identified; and 6 percent said they have regularly scheduled reviews with church leaders.
