“Religion is for old people and women.”
Surely, you’ve heard it said before. Throughout the decades, some have even claimed that Christianity will die out altogether with the older generations. And yet, faith in the Bible continues despite all perceived odds. Regardless of the claims of cultural critics, the Bible is relevant for both men and women of every generation. And new research demonstrates that we are experiencing a reversal of longstanding trends in spiritual interest and church attendance.
Our last article, Rising Interest in Christianity: A Generational Shift, discussed several studies conducted by Barna Group that showcase the unprecedented interest of younger generations in faith. But Barna’s research not only reflects a surprising reversal in generational interest in Christianity, it also displays a reversal of male and female interest as well.
The Data
For decades, women have driven church attendance and religious interest, but recent research demonstrates a shocking reversal. While women’s church attendance is increasing slightly, male church attendance is growing more rapidly. For the last five years, men have overtaken women in regular church attendance. This year shows the highest gap yet with 43 percent of men as compared to 36 percent of women attending church regularly.
Across every generation, men outpace women in church attendance, but this trend is most evidenced among Gen Z and Millennials. Millennial men lead regular church attendance at 55 percent with Millennial women trailing behind at 38 percent. Surprisingly, married dads now take the lead in church attendance with married moms falling into second place and single dads and finally single moms coming in behind.[i]
The Why
What is causing men to embrace Christianity at higher rates than women? Frankly, we don’t fully understand all of the reasons behind this trend yet, but Barna suggests four possible reasons:
- First, increased burdens of work and caregiving. Many of today’s young women have schedules packed with work and domestic responsibilities. They may feel that they cannot afford to waste precious time attending church.
- Second, changing social dynamics. As many women delay marriage in favor of remaining single, they may feel out of place in the church, which generally revolves around the family unit.
- Third, cultural mismatch. As many women embrace the cultural affirmation of female leadership in all areas of life, they may feel frustrated in churches that prioritize traditional gender roles.
- Fourth, church culture and leadership failures. Scandals and leadership failures of male leadership in the church may cause embitterment toward the church.[ii]
In the midst of a culture wholeheartedly embracing radical feminism, many men feel unwanted and targeted by society. The church provides a rare space that values male contribution and leadership. The church has always provided a space for the ostracized in society. While for decades women have been undervalued, radical feminism has subverted longstanding cultural trends. This new trend may cause men to seek purpose and community in church that past generations found in work or society.
In addition, this reversal of church attendance trends mirrors the current trend in male and female political association: young women tend to lean progressive while young men tend to embrace conservative policies. That being said, some cultural critics make a fair point in observing that more than likely some of the young men flocking to Christianity are not embracing a true and personal faith in Jesus Christ but simply come as part of their cultural identity as conservative young men.
Prevalent Christian worldview author and speaker John Stonestreet and his colleague Shane Morris write, “It’s possible that some young men are returning to church for the wrong reasons. They still need to hear Christianity taught accurately and in its entirety. Church should not be sold to them as a ‘based’ social club, but as a place that belongs to the God of the universe, and the faith as a way of seeing all of life and reality in surrender to Christ’s loving lordship.”[iii]
Regardless of their original motivation in attending church, we can be thankful for young men’s renewed interest in faith and pray that they will come to a true, personal, and vibrant faith in Jesus Christ.
The Church's Response
The growing gap between male and female church attendance raises concerning questions. Will Christian young men be able to find godly young women to marry? Who will be the next generation of Christian mothers and nurturers? Who will be the next generation of women mentors, teachers, and servants? Ultimately, we don’t have the answers to these questions, but we can get busy doing the work before us right now. As we interact with the younger generations, we should be more motivated than ever to share our faith.
How can the Church respond and adapt to new but also changing interest in Christianity?
- First, we must create spaces where single people, specifically women, feel welcome. Too often, single adults feel unwanted or useless in the church. But, regardless of their marital status, each Christian has the ability to encourage, mentor, and exhort other believers. Churches and church members intentionally show single people that they are valued brothers and sisters in Christ by treating them with respect, valuing their input, and providing opportunities for them to engage in ministry.
- Second, we must keep the gospel as our forefront. The church is not a cultural movement or a political club. The church is the living body of Jesus Christ on earth. Our mission is to evangelize the lost and build Christ’s church on this earth. At times, we may be tempted to water down the gospel message or focus on political and societal issues instead of keeping our focus on the gospel. While as Christians we should hold strong positions in cultural matters, the church is not an activism group. And, as you may have heard said before, we must keep the main thing the main thing. That main thing, of course, is the gospel. The gospel should be the heart of everything the church does. Regardless of why young men are gravitating toward church, we should make sure each one of them hears the gospel and has the opportunity to respond.
Stonestreet and Morris write, “Even as we praise God for this ‘quiet revival,’ we should ask how we can fan the flames of belief in Gen Z and make disciples rather than just cultural converts. God is up to something. We should be eager to play our part in His providential movement in young hearts.”[iv] These changing trends call for innovation and effort on our parts. But rather than growing discouraged, we should each be encouraged to do our part in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone around us.
This is a continuation of a previous blog post, Rising Interest in Christianity: A Generational Shift.
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