Nonprofits and Cities, AI and Job Displacement, Christian Pilot on Moon Mission
Plus, debunking the overhead myth.
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Signs and Wonders” is a column that shares thoughts on news items that either do not rise to the level of a news story for MinistryWatch or are slightly (even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.” My goal is to be punchy, opinionated, and not to worry much about being slightly off brand. If that is not for you, no hard feelings. But if it is…read on.
Do Nonprofits Lead to Decline of Cities? Aaron Renn, whose ideas I usually find nourishing, has an analysis of leadership development in Indianapolis and has (tentatively) concluded that the rise of nonprofits could be contributing to the decline of American cities. He uses Indianapolis as his case study. I recommend his analysis to you, even though I find it flawed in a number of ways. He is right to note that the number of nonprofits has grown dramatically in the past few decades, and that many cities have nonprofit leadership and “economic development” programs. But the analysis fails to note that most American cities have seen a remarkable revitalization over that period. The real crisis in America today is not the decline of cities, but the decline of small towns and the hollowing out of rural America as young people move into the cities that Renn says are in decline. Nonprofits are not the problem. Renn, a clear thinker, has nonetheless in this case confused correlation with causation. One of the reasons for the growth of nonprofits is their effectiveness in providing solutions to the problems Renn rightly identifies.
AI and Job Displacement. A new study by Tufts University has identified which cities will be most affected by the growth of artificial intelligence. Not surprisingly, San Jose, Calif., home of Silicon Valley, will see the greatest impact. Washington, D.C. comes in at Number 2. You can see the complete study here. Fundraising executives and program managers — which includes a lot of non-profit jobs — are among the jobs to be most affected by the growth of AI.
Is Catholicism Growing? The Washington Post headline proclaimed it knew “Why Catholicism is drawing in Gen Z men.” The answer: “Young men in their 20s and 30s are increasingly drawn to the Catholic Church as they seek truth, beauty and, yes, girlfriends.” The only problem: It is not true. At least, it’s not true generally. Ryan Burge, who tracks religion statistics, says the Catholic Church is in decline. Further, weekly church attendance among practicing Catholics is in freefall. According to Burge, “There’s absolutely an uptick in new converts in the last few years. [But] even after these increases, the overall numbers are still significantly down from 2000.” To add insult to injury, more Catholics are becoming evangelicals than vice versa. The Washington Post article has seen a few anecdotes and confused them with data.
Debunking the Overhead Myth. An interesting article at Candid (Guidestar) asserts that “every business pays for overhead, like salaries, rent, and technology, but this doesn’t solely determine whether they are seen as successful.” The article asks, “So why are nonprofits judged differently?” It goes on to say, “The overhead myth states that organizations that spend less on overhead are more effective. But this thinking puts nonprofits at a disadvantage.” The article has a point. The bigger issue is not reducing overhead to zero, but being accountable, transparent, and efficient. I recommend all donors and ministry leaders read this article, which you can find here.
Christian Pilot on Moon Mission. My friend Bobby Ross, Jr., has written a great article about Victor Glover, the pilot of the Artemis II ship currently coming home from the moon. Glover is active in Southeast Church of Christ in the Houston suburb of Friendswood, Texas. His elder flew to Florida to witness the liftoff of the Artemis mission. To read a 2021 interview with Glover in which he discusses his faith, and taking communion in space, click here.
Readers in Los Angeles, Knoxville, Nashville, Dallas, Denver. I have some travel coming up in the next couple of months, and I would love to see you. I will be in Los Angeles in April. I will be speaking at the annual convention of the Evangelical Press Association in Nashville in June. I will also be in Dallas and Knoxville in May. I will be speaking at Summit Ministries in Manitou Springs in June, so I will be doing reader lunches in Denver and Colorado Springs during that trip. Let me know if you would like to join us. My email is [email protected].
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