George Barna

—The Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators

Who do we have to thank for informing us about precise, eye-opening, and sometimes alarming statistics like these? George Barna—the respected pollster known to many as "America’s leading Christian pulse checker." Through his marketing research firm, the Barna Research Group, Ltd., George systematically tracks demographic, religious, and cultural trends that affect 20th-century America. The resulting data reveals the changing face of this country and the ever-evolving body of Christ.

By conducting thousands of telephone polls, crunching the numbers, and publishing reams of demographic data, Barna helps the Christian community to see itself and the environment in which it operates through an objective, accurate lens. Although some believers don’t like what they see—(a few even accuse Barna of having "the gift of discouragement")—most churches welcome the chance to exchange their foggy rose-colored glasses for a reality check, and adjust their ministry efforts accordingly. This is exactly the end result Barna hopes to achieve: to glorify God by helping the church "grasp present realities and make the necessary changes to deal more effectively with those realities."

As Barna’s reputation has grown, believers and non-believers have come to rely on his carefully researched statistics. Barna’s polls are used by organizations as diverse as World Vision, the Billy Graham Crusade, Prudential, and Southwestern Bell Telephone. He is frequently quoted in secular publications, including Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times.

Barna wears many hats, pastoring a large church and serving on the faculty of many seminaries. He is president and founder of the Barna Research Group, as well as the author of more than two dozen bestsellers, including User Friendly Churches, The Power of Vision, Evangelism That Works. His recent books areSingle Focus, The Power of Vision, Grow Your Church from the Outside In, and the upcoming Think Like Jesus.

George, his wife, Nancy, and their daughters, Samantha and Corban, live in Southern California.