By Kate Greenaway
UUFSMA Member
This Sunday, Jurgen Ahlers invites us to consider a provocative question: as traditional religion declines, what role—if any—can spiritual community still play in our lives and our world? Recent Pew Research shows a dramatic decline in religious participation, with only 20% of Americans regularly attending religious services. Religious institutions—once central to hospitals, schools, orphanages, and shelters—have largely been replaced by governments, NGOs, and secular philanthropies. At the same time, rigid doctrines and rising extremism—from white evangelical nationalism to ultra-conservative expressions of Islam—have surged.
As science provides answers to long-standing existential questions and modern comforts reduce our reliance on religious institutions, faith traditions are fading. Is religion dying? Is it already dead?
And yet, we live in a time of deep uncertainty: climate change, authoritarianism, nuclear threat, social isolation, and the rise of AI all press us to search again for meaning, courage, and connection.
This Sunday, the UUFSMA worship service will examine the decline of conventional religion and explore the potential of delving into the unknown. Together, we’ll reflect on how spiritual community can still offer a path toward hope, relevance, and a thriving future for all life on Earth.
Jurgen Ahlers is a valued member of our fellowship, a frequent service leader, and a passionate environmentalist. Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany, he brings both wisdom and warmth to everything he does. He holds degrees from Syracuse University and Princeton Theological Seminary and spent the early part of his career in academia and adult education before moving into corporate leadership, executive coaching, and hospitality training. As founding Director of Professional Development for Ritz-Carlton Hotels, he was the architect of their service culture. Jurgen later started his own consulting firm, working with multinational clients. He is the proud father of two sons and grandfather to seven.
UUFSMA Member
This Sunday, Jurgen Ahlers invites us to consider a provocative question: as traditional religion declines, what role—if any—can spiritual community still play in our lives and our world? Recent Pew Research shows a dramatic decline in religious participation, with only 20% of Americans regularly attending religious services. Religious institutions—once central to hospitals, schools, orphanages, and shelters—have largely been replaced by governments, NGOs, and secular philanthropies. At the same time, rigid doctrines and rising extremism—from white evangelical nationalism to ultra-conservative expressions of Islam—have surged.
As science provides answers to long-standing existential questions and modern comforts reduce our reliance on religious institutions, faith traditions are fading. Is religion dying? Is it already dead?
And yet, we live in a time of deep uncertainty: climate change, authoritarianism, nuclear threat, social isolation, and the rise of AI all press us to search again for meaning, courage, and connection.
This Sunday, the UUFSMA worship service will examine the decline of conventional religion and explore the potential of delving into the unknown. Together, we’ll reflect on how spiritual community can still offer a path toward hope, relevance, and a thriving future for all life on Earth.
Jurgen Ahlers is a valued member of our fellowship, a frequent service leader, and a passionate environmentalist. Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany, he brings both wisdom and warmth to everything he does. He holds degrees from Syracuse University and Princeton Theological Seminary and spent the early part of his career in academia and adult education before moving into corporate leadership, executive coaching, and hospitality training. As founding Director of Professional Development for Ritz-Carlton Hotels, he was the architect of their service culture. Jurgen later started his own consulting firm, working with multinational clients. He is the proud father of two sons and grandfather to seven.
