Aug 3, 2026 · 2h 56m
Christianity grows globally as Western belief loses ground
#327 Josh Howerton - "In 50 Years, China Will Have More Christians Than America"
The conversation examines whether Christianity’s future lies less in Western institutions than in its expanding communities across Africa, Asia, and the Global South.
- 1Christianity is declining in the West while growing across Africa, Asia, and the wider Global South.
- 2Forgiveness can coexist with accountability, legal consequences, boundaries, and the refusal to restore trust automatically.
- 3Pastoral leadership requires accountability, accessible service, and integrity beyond the public platform.
Don't miss
Howerton chooses Jesus touching and healing a leper as his favorite miracle, emphasizing compassion toward someone excluded by social and religious boundaries.
The brief
Pastor Josh Howerton joins Shawn Ryan to discuss Christianity’s biblical foundations, its global growth, and the pressures facing believers in a distrustful culture.
Howerton describes Christianity expanding across Africa, Asia, and the Global South even as Western belief declines, challenging the assumption that the faith is simply shrinking.
The conversation treats forgiveness as a discipline rather than a verdict: accountability and boundaries can remain while bitterness and repeated anger are surrendered.
Howerton explains how elders, trusted friends, marriage, and accessible service keep leadership grounded inside a church serving roughly 30,000 weekly attendees.
The standout biblical image is Jesus touching and healing a leper, an act Howerton reads as compassion that crossed social and religious boundaries.
Across discussions of trauma, parenting, and public criticism, the central warning is against placing ultimate trust in institutions or personalities instead of Jesus Christ.
Featuring
Bible
Raymond Ibrahim
Romans 13Books & mentions
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