Christianity Today
Christianity Today, also referred to as CT Magazine, is an evangelical Christian magazine founded by the late Billy Graham in 1956. It is one of the largest evangelical Christian publications in the United States, and has been referred to as evangelicalism’s “flagship” publication by The Washington Post and a “mainstream evangelical magazine” by The New York Times.
Upon its founding, Graham said that he wanted to "plant the evangelical flag in the middle-of-the-road, taking the conservative theological position but a definite liberal approach to social problems."
In 2023, the magazine says its mission is “To elevate the stories and ideas of the kingdom of God.” Christianity Today promises to “deliver an exceptional experience that is biblically rooted and beautifully orthodox, globally engaged and thoughtfully diverse, exquisitely crafted and surprisingly creative, always inspired by a love for Christ and his church.”
Previously, Christianity Today supported the impeachments of both Democratic President Bill Clinton and Republican President Donald Trump, whom outgoing Editor-in-Chief Mark Galli described as "profoundly immoral" in a 2019 editorial.
Type of Content
Approved Story
1
Format
Region
News Item Format
Standard
Image Caption
Image: Alexander Gray / Unsplash
Community
Needs rose last year. But so did giving to evangelical ministries.
The annual State of Giving report from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) found giving to ministries increased more in 2021 than it had any year out of the last 10. Inflation and the pandemic both raised real concerns for ministry leaders trying to make ends meet, but evangelicals responded to the crises with generosity.
The ECFA survey of about 1,800 members found they received more than $19 billion in donations in 2021. Adjusting for inflation, giving went up by about 3 percent. In the last 10 years, the increase has been closer to 2 percent.
“Contrary to what many expected, giving during the pandemic to ECFA members was strong,” Michael Martin, ECFA president and CEO, wrote in the report. “The findings we unveil emphasize the good work that ECFA members are doing to serve and expand their services in the face of inflation and other challenges.”
If Christians are excited and optimistic about the work of parachurch organizations, though, the numbers reveal a different story when it comes to megachurches. The ECFA surveyed 87 churches that belong to the financial accountability organization. Giving to those congregations dropped by 6.6 percent in 2021, following a decline of 1.1 percent the year before.
Jake Lapp, ECFA vice president of member accountability, attributed the decline to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some churches have reported that they are still only at 50 percent of pre-pandemic attendance.