As More Americans Leave the Church, Evangelicals Recenter Their Message

Leaders believe Christ still offers the answers that growing numbers of “nones” are looking for, even if religious baggage is driving them away.

With 28 percent of Americans saying they don’t belong to a religious tradition, the “nones” now outnumber any single faith group in the US, according to a Pew Research Center study released last month.

Their retreat from church, Pew polling shows, is fueled not only by secular disbelief but also by negative perceptions of Christian institutions and leaders. To evangelical Protestants—currently 24 percent of the country—the trend might seem like a defeat. Or like a massive opportunity.

Evangelical leaders recognize the factors that are leading people away from faith: Christian environments where they feel their questions aren’t welcome; hurt and distrust around scandals in the church; and societal shifts that make orthodox beliefs less culturally acceptable, to name a few.

But they still say the church shouldn’t feel threatened by the trends around disaffiliation and deconstruction or fear the rise of the nones.

“We have an opportunity to reach them by going back to the center of our faith and the message,” said theologian Katie McCoy, director of women’s ministry at Texas Baptists. “The gospel is still the gospel. It doesn’t matter the cultural trends; people are still looking for everything that Jesus provides.”

Most religious nones aren’t atheists or agnostics. Over 60 percent of the unaffiliated consider themselves “nothing in particular.” Americans in this group were often raised Christian; 83 percent still believe in God or some higher power, and 59 percent say their spirituality is an important part of their lives.

“They want to look beyond themselves, but they’re suspicious of organizations, ...

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from Christianity Today Magazine
Umn ministry