Churches such as Second Presbyterian and St. David’s are part of a new trend among liberal or progressive churches, said religion scholar Diana Butler Bass, author of “Christianity After Religion.” She said that starting in the 1980s, many liberal churches and theologians began to rediscover spirituality and the Bible. That makes them very different from liberal churches of the past.

The Rev. Eric Greenwood has heard the bad news about the Episcopal Church.

Attendance is down. Money is tight.

And the church seems locked in a never-ending battle over the place of gays and lesbians in the church, with accusations that the church has become too liberal.

Greenwood, rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Nashville, says his denomination has its troubles. But it is still a force for good in the world.

“Everybody gets all excited about sex in the church,” he said. “But the good work that gets done in the name of God and our lord Jesus Christ, it will take your breath away.”

Nationwide, the numbers don’t look good for the Episcopal Church and other mainline Protestant denominations, most of which tend to hold more liberal beliefs. From 2000 to 2010, most suffered double-digit percentage declines in membership, leading some to wonder if those denominations can be saved in the future.

But in Nashville, those mainline churches have showed surprising strength and have grown in membership over the past decade. That’s due in part to Nashville’s growing population. But those churches also have found success by finding ways to balance between doing good works in the world and meeting the spiritual needs of congregation members.

The Rev. Mary Louise McCullough, the new pastor at Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville, said she used to have her doubts about liberal Christianity.

At times, she said, liberal churches focused on social justice but neglected spirituality.

“What distinguishes the liberal church from the United Way, I used to wonder,” said McCullough, who became pastor at Second Presbyterian in June.

McCullough, who grew up Southern Baptist, said the successful liberal churches remember to take care of people’s spiritual needs. That includes meaningful worship services with good music and lots of Bible study.

One of her favorite Bible passages comes from the Gospel of John, where Jesus tells his followers, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”

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