Posts published in “Magnolia Minds”

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Confessions of a first-year pastor

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Confessions of a first-year pastor

May 9, 2025

By Clayton Todd Seasoned pastors usually get to write this article, simply because they’re no substitute for the time-tested real thing. Yet as I’ve reflected…

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Persian New Year and Gospel opportunities

Mt. Zion members celebrate Nowruz with Persian neighbors. (Photo credit: Zach Kilpatrick)

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Persian New Year and Gospel opportunities

March 26, 2025

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Seven benefits of daily Bible reading

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Seven benefits of daily Bible reading

October 4, 2024

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Learning from Deaf culture as a hearing person

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Learning from Deaf culture as a hearing person

June 24, 2024

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Fathers leave tracks

MAGNOLIA MINDS: Fathers leave tracks

June 14, 2024

Barna report highlights
openness to faith among
Americans who reject God
A surprising openness to faith among Americans who currently reject God has been shared in a new report from George Barna, director of research at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. The American Worldview Inventory 2025, titled “Millions Admit They Could Be Persuaded That God Exists — Under the Right Conditions,” finds that one-third of doubters are “completely open” to belief if approached with a credible, personal explanation, Barna shared in a released statement. An additional 38% “might be open” — totaling over 50 million spiritually restless Americans. Shockingly, 40% of those who reject God still identify as Christians, the report said. Many attend church or read the Bible, Barna noted, yet deny the God they engage with. Most rejections of spiritual authority, he said, occur before age 22, highlighting the critical role of early worldview development. — The Baptist Paper