Half a century ago, the denominations under the mainline umbrella dominated the American faith landscape. Now, after decades of declining numbers, only about one in five U.S. adults identifies with a mainline denomination such as United Methodists, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA) and American Baptists.<\/p>\n
Could replacing the \u201cmainline\u201d\u009d name help stem the slide? The challenge came from scholar and Presbyterian pastor Carol Howard Merritt. Writing in the venerable Christian Century magazine, she called for a new brand that conveys her view of the mainline\u2019s rising diversity and social justice leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe image of an all-white, elitist church is not going to fly for generations to come,\u201d\u009d said Merritt, an author and speaker who lives in Chattanooga, Tenn. \u201c\u2019Mainline\u2019 was a good historic marker but the future needs to reflect who we are now.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n