A popular meme from ancient internet history (late last year) consisted of Europeans taunting their Yankee counterparts with distinctly European images alongside the phrase, “The American mind cannot comprehend this.”
Some of the photos shared were of majestic feats of architecture, like the Votive Church in Vienna. Others were trivial objects available but not ubiquitous in the states, like electric tea kettles.
The meme quickly turned humorous, as Americans replied with snarky comments such as “The European mind cannot comprehend the intense flavor of a 64 oz. Big Gulp.” Others shared their own images, such as the Memphis Pyramid, which houses a Bass Pro Shop.
The joke played on two dissonant realities of cultural and geographic distinctions: We are different but not that different.
Most of what we consider unique about our local contexts isn’t unique at all, and so a hyperfocus on our differences is often silly and misguided. I joke that my fellow Texans love to say, “Only in Texas,” before talking about something that happens virtually every other place on the planet.
In recent weeks, however, a yearly phenomenon has returned to various institutions in the United States that I can say with relative confidence the European mind cannot comprehend: College church fairs.
Most traditional colleges in the U.S. and elsewhere open their academic years with carnival-like events, where student organizations and local social service institutions set up tables to inform students about their offerings. Depending on university regulations, churches may sometimes participate in these events.
This is not unique to the States, as I know of colleges around the world that hold similar events and invite churches to participate.
But a church fair is different.
These events, held at institutions associated with evangelical Christian denominations, focus solely on churches and parachurch organizations. Tables include swag and information on the church’s services and ministries. College ministers or other congregational leaders talk to students and help them explore whether the church would be a good fit for their college years.
As someone who has graduated from and worked at universities that hold these events, I can confidently say that the European mind cannot comprehend church fairs.
Except for a small handful of Catholic nations, no European country has more than twenty percent of its population attending weekly church services. Twenty European countries report that only 12% or less of their population attends church, with seven at 5% or lower.
Years ago, at a town festival in Tartu, Estonia, I spoke with a young couple intrigued by my interest in their country. In our conversation, I told them I visit often and, when I do, stay in a guest room provided by a local Baptist church. They had seen the church building before, and one of them responded by asking, “What goes on there?”
I have had many similar conversations.
Even with rapidly declining church attendance, it is nearly impossible to describe how prevalent evangelical Christian culture is in the U.S. Few phenomena reveal the cultural dominance of Christianity more than a college church fair.
Students’ ability to choose from multiple churches to attend during their university years is remarkable, even in many communities across America. The fact that some college towns have enough churches to hold a carnival to court students would be unfathomable to most of the world.
I have lived “church fair adjacent” all my adult life. I am part of the less-than .00001% of the population who have attended multiple ones. At my least cynical, I view them as excellent opportunities for students to explore the possibility of being part of a faith community during their college years.
As far as the churches themselves are concerned, in a world where congregations struggle to survive, reaching out to a group with little to offer them is a commendable act of sacrifice. College students often have no money, and their schedules make it difficult for them to get involved.
However, robust student participation has some benefits for many of these churches, chief among them being identity.
In a culture where local identity is often inextricably tied to the life of local universities (another reality difficult for the European mind to comprehend,) competing for students can be a lucrative endeavor. This is especially true in smaller cities with evangelical institutions of higher education.
Many churches participating in church fairs would disagree with my assertion that these events amount to competition. However, I suspect the ones who would protest this suggestion are those who spend the most resources on these recruitment events.
I also suspect the era of church fairs may be nearing an end. The rapid decline of U.S. church attendance is leading to record numbers of churches closing their doors. Couple this with the reality that mega-churches are getting larger, and you have a situation with fewer congregations courting more students.
At the same time, more students are less interested in what churches offer than they were in the past.
This could be cause for handwringing, but it doesn’t need to be. One thing the European mind can comprehend is a world devoid of evangelical Christian hegemony over its culture and institutions.
The first followers of Jesus understood that world as well.
Senior Editor at Good Faith Media.
