Every institution and movement wants to thrive, but numerical growth is a core tenet of evangelical institutions. Yes, it is “all about people,” they say. But for a movement driven by the command of Jesus to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), numbers matter.
That is why every new study of religious involvement, especially among young people, garners anticipation and interest from folks whose identity (and, often, career) depends on the growth of Christian commitment. They have a new one to analyze, and the data doesn’t provide as clear a picture as they may want.
Last week, the Christian research organization Barna released the latest data from its ongoing State of the Church Initiative, including findings on the churchgoing habits of millennials and Gen Z. When asked to compare their current church attendance with a year ago, around one-third (34%) of respondents ages 18-35 said they were attending more often, while 45% said their attendance patterns hadn’t changed.
If the news cycle following this data resembles previous releases, many evangelicals may spin it to mean that young people are flocking to churches. That would be a misreading of the Barna data.
Though new church attendance among millennials and Gen Z may be growing, it is important to note that the question does not account for how often respondents attended in the previous year. It could be that some of the 34% who increased their attendance over the past year were actively involved the previous year and are even more actively involved this year.
What stands out is who is most represented among the group attending church more often. Increased attendance is highest among males and those who identify as Black, with 41% of both groups saying they attend more often this year than last. In contrast, only one-quarter (25%) of females say they are attending more often.
All demographic groups had relatively high rates (between 41% and 57%) of respondents who said their church attendance had remained unchanged over the previous year.
More information on the Barna study can be found here.
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