George Barna
George Barna (born 1954) is the founder of The Barna Group, a market research firm specializing in studying the religious beliefs and behavior of Americans, and the intersection of faith and culture. From 2013 - 2018 he served as the executive director of the American Culture & Faith Institute, the research division of United in Purpose. In 2019 he became a professor at Arizona Christian University in Phoenix, Arizona, where he also started the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. He is also the Senior Research Fellow for Christian Ethics and Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council. Background. George  Barna grew up a Catholic in New York City and Princeton, New Jersey but he has since engaged with evangelical Christianity. Barna has filled executive roles in politics, marketing, advertising, media development, research and ministry. He founded the Barna Research Group in 1984 (now The Barna Group), a marketing research firm focused on the intersection of faith and culture. Through the Barna Group, George served several hundred parachurch ministries, thousands of Christian churches, and many other non-profit and for-profit organizations as well as the U.S. military. He sold it in 2009. He currently serves as the President of  Metaformation, a faith development organization. Barna has written more than 50 books, mostly addressing cultural trends, leadership, spiritual development, and church dynamics. They include New York Times bestsellers and several award-winning books. His works have been translated into more than a dozen foreign languages. He has sold more books based on survey research related to matters of faith than any author in American history. His work is frequently cited as an authoritative source by the media. Barna has been hailed as “the most quoted person in the Christian Church today” and has been named by various media as one  of the nation's most influential Christian leaders. A frequent speaker at ministry conferences around the world, he has been on the faculty at several universities and seminaries, and has served as a pastor of a large, multi-ethnic church as well as a house church, and has helped to start several churches. After graduating summa cum laude from Boston College, Barna earned two master's degrees from Rutgers University and received an honorary doctorate from Dallas Baptist University. After attending high school and college together, George and his wife Nancy married in 1978. They have three adopted daughters — two  from Guatemala, one from Russia and three grandchildren. They live on the central California coast and attend Mission Church in Ventura. He enjoys reading, music, rooting for the Yankees and Lakers, and relaxing on the beach. Barna leads seminars for church leaders, speaks at ministry conferences, has taught at seminaries, and has been a pastor. As an author, he has written more than 50 books on contemporary Christian issues, with topics ranging from worldviews, trends and children to church life, spiritual growth and leadership. He also written more than 200 articles that have been published in professional journals, mass market  publications, and online. As a result of his work, Barna has coined several terms, including: Findings. Barna is known for providing extensive surveys regarding Christianity and the state of the church. Among his findings that have generated substantial interest or controversy in recent years include: Barna considers Maximum Faith to be his most significant book. Others that he cites as being especially valuable include Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, Think Like Jesus, The Power of Vision, and Revolution. Since 2009 in addition to writing his own books he has also been a writer for hire, penning books such as The  Cause Within You, for Matthew Barnett, which became a New York Times bestseller in 2011.