Views on Church Attendance and Membership
According to the 2025 State of Theology report, attitudes about church attendance and church membership are shifting. Among U.S. adults, 63% now say personal or family worship time substitutes well for church attendance, down from 66% in 2022 but up from 58% in 2020.
Just 33% of respondents say all Christians should join a local church. When broken down by faith tradition, 62% of mainline Protestants and 45% of evangelical Protestants disagree that all Christians are obligated to become church members.
More than half (54%) of Americans say they don’t want religious beliefs to enter the political sphere.
Thoughts About Sin and Social Issues
The 3,000 U.S. adults who participated in the 2025 State of Theology report also answered questions about morality and social issues. Two-thirds (66%) say that all people sin some but that most are good by nature. In addition, 74% say that all people are born “innocent” in God’s eyes.
“It’s easier to say you are naturally good when you shorten the list of what is a sin,” notes Lifeway’s Scott McConnell. “Americans are quick to say they were born innocent, but they are split on the sinfulness of many things the Bible condemns.”
For example, 52% of respondents say that sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin, and 49% say that abortion is a sin. On other controversial social issues, 65% of U.S. adults (and 98% of evangelical Christians) say God intends for marriage to be between one man and one woman. Only 38% of respondents say people should be allowed to choose their own gender identity; 82% of evangelical Christians disagree that people should be allowed to choose it.
RELATED: Mark Yarhouse: Don’t Be a Culture Warrior or Capitulator When It Comes to Gender Identity
2025 State of Theology: Calls to Action
Based on findings from the 2025 State of Theology survey, accurate theology remains a top need in U.S. churches and society. Chris Larson of Ligonier Ministries—quoting the organization’s founder, R.C. Sproul—cited “happy inconsistencies” among the beliefs of American Christians. “Poor theology, no matter how sincerely held, can lead to confusion, compromise, and even spiritual harm,” Larson wrote.
Although many American Christians are “drifting from sound doctrine,” Larson added, “decline is not inevitable. Confusion is not our only option.” Instead, pastors and other church leaders must keep preaching and teaching biblical truth.
The latest State of Theology results among evangelicals “remind us of the enduring value and practical helpfulness of the sound doctrine expressed in the historic confessions and catechisms of the church,” Larson said. These important tools help church leaders equip and discipline their flocks, he noted.
