George Barna
Author • Professor at Arizona Christian University • Director of Research at the Cultural Research Center at ACU
He was the founder The Barna Group (which he sold in 2009), the Barna Institute, the American Culture and Faith Institute, and Metaformation. Through those entities he has conducted groundbreaking research on worldview, cultural transformation, ministry applications, spiritual development, and elections. He has conducted more than 1,000 surveys which have involved interviews with more than one million Americans. He has directly provided research and strategy for several hundred parachurch ministries, thousands of Christian churches, the U.S. military, Fortune 500 companies, and has supplied polling and strategy to four presidential candidates and various federal and state candidates. He has also served on multiple Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards.
To date, Barna has authored or co-authored 60 books addressing social and religious trends, worldview, leadership, spiritual development, church dynamics, and cultural transformation. They include New York Times and amazon bestsellers and several award-winning books. His books have been translated into more than a dozen foreign languages. His most recent bestseller is Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child’s Heart, Mind and Soul (ACU Press, September 2023).
He previously taught at several universities and seminaries; served as the Teaching Pastor of a large, multi-ethnic church; pastor of a house church; an elder; and helped to start several churches.
After graduating summa cum laude from Boston College, Barna earned two Master’s degrees from Rutgers University and received a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University.
George and his wife Nancy attended high school, college, and grad school together before marrying in 1978. They have three adopted daughters and three grandchildren, and currently live on the central California coast and in Phoenix. In his free time, George likes to watch the Yankees, read novels, play bass and listen to music, enjoy the ocean, spend time with his family and his blind dog (Ray Charles).
America Needs Spiritual Renewal More than a Political Majority
As increasing attention shifts to the approaching 2024 election, many Americans hope that the next leader of the nation will restore unity to our divided country. A new survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, however, suggests that such an outcome is improbable. Regardless of who
Children Reject Basic Bible Views
America’s preteen children are following in the unfortunate spiritual footsteps of the generations that have preceded them. New research released by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows that the foundational beliefs held by 8- to-12-year-olds put them on track to abandon biblical Christianity in record numbers. Core
The Pathway for Children to Become ‘Spiritual Champions’
In his new book, Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child’s Heart, Mind and Soul, veteran researcher and author George Barna describes an effective starting place for shaping the minds and lives of children if the goal is to guide them toward being disciples of Jesus Christ. Barna shares both descriptive
Strategic Discipleship is Key to Shaping Children into Spiritual Champions
A parent’s #1 job is to disciple their children, which means being a model and mentor to help them think like Jesus so they can act like Jesus throughout their lives. But new research from veteran researcher Dr. George Barna in his book, Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child’s Heart,
Key Insights for Raising the Next Generation of ‘Spiritual Champions’
Very few of today’s parents, who have the primary responsibility to disciple their children, even have that task on their parenting radar. In fact, more than two years of research show that during their child’s most important worldview development window, the overwhelming majority of parents tend to delegate many basic
How the Pandemic Reshaped Christian Beliefs and Behaviors
We are learning more about the effects of COVID-19 on the religious faith of Americans, and a new research report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University identifies a series of significant shifts in people’s beliefs and behaviors during the pandemic. Noteworthy changes were found in church attendance,