- Feb 5, 2002
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Jim Davis and Michael Graham knew something was up in their hometown of Orlando.
But they couldn’t put their finger on it.
At the time, both were pastors at Orlando Grace Church, an evangelical congregation, and saw a study showing that their community had the same percentage of evangelicals as less traditionally Christian cities like New York and Seattle. Their city also ranked low on a list of “Bible-minded cities” — with a profile more akin to cities with secular reputations than Bible Belt communities like Birmingham, Ala., or Nashville.
Which didn’t make any sense to them.
Orlando was home to the headquarters of Cru, a major campus ministry, along with Wycliffe Bible Translators and other major Christian nonprofits, as well as booming and influential megachurches like First Baptist and Northland Church.
And Orlando felt different from New York or Seattle.
“Then it hit us — it’s because our people used to go to church,” Davis said.
Continued below.
But they couldn’t put their finger on it.
At the time, both were pastors at Orlando Grace Church, an evangelical congregation, and saw a study showing that their community had the same percentage of evangelicals as less traditionally Christian cities like New York and Seattle. Their city also ranked low on a list of “Bible-minded cities” — with a profile more akin to cities with secular reputations than Bible Belt communities like Birmingham, Ala., or Nashville.
Which didn’t make any sense to them.
Orlando was home to the headquarters of Cru, a major campus ministry, along with Wycliffe Bible Translators and other major Christian nonprofits, as well as booming and influential megachurches like First Baptist and Northland Church.
And Orlando felt different from New York or Seattle.
“Then it hit us — it’s because our people used to go to church,” Davis said.
Continued below.
