“Jesus remains a very positive and compelling figure in American public life. And I think that represents good news to faith leaders, especially at a moment of spiritual openness.”
Key Quotes From Scott McConnell
“Many [regular churchgoers] are attending less often.”
“We’ve got a lot of folks that are not there every week, and they’re okay not being a regular churchgoer. And that’s a new thing.”
“I think the pandemic, in the temporary nature of churches unplugging for a season—some of them quite a long season—really gave people permission to not be in church.”
“We find that that two-thirds of church goers say, ‘I can walk with God without other believers.’’
Key Quotes From Frank Newport
“If someone came from Mars and looked at American religion, they would actually spot the broader trend, which is the increase in Americans who have no religious identification at all…Within that, we have seen the crash of the number of people who identify as Protestants.”
“I believe that one of the reasons we are seeing the decline in religiosity in this country is the lack of outstanding religious leaders.”
“Becoming a pastor or a minister or a priest has become much less in the thought process of our young people coming out of high school and college than it did in the old days.”
“People want a minister to be loving and caring, and so you’ve got to manage the church better. So that’s hard to tell a minister.”
“I think that religion is powerful and important for society…even somebody that’s a strictly non-religious, outside observer, I think, can argue that religion is very positive, not only for individuals but for society in general.”
“In today’s society, I think we need the cohesion and bonding and sense of community that can come from being a part of a religious community.”
Mentioned in the Show
Barna Group
Gallup
Lifeway Research
Pew Research Center
Follow Greg Smith on X/Twitter
Follow David Kinnaman on Facebook and X/Twitter
Follow Scott McConnell on X/Twitter
Follow Frank Newport on X/Twitter
“Ryan Burge: The Biggest Reason Why People Are Leaving Church” by Jessica Lea on ChurchLeaders
General Social Survey
Gloo
“God Is Alive and Well: The Future of Religion in America” by Dr. Frank Newport
