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At a time when America is wrestling with declining church attendance, a surprising reversal has pastors and researchers talking about the possibility of a new revival.
Gen Z has been known as the “least religious generation,” but new numbers show young men are bucking the trend.
A recent Barna Group study suggests that church attendance has increased among Gen Z and Millennial men, showing signs of a return to church that surpasses older generations.
Gen Z men are attending slightly more often than Millennial men, marking a generational reversal.
GEN Z EMBRACES THE BIBLE IN UNEXPECTED GLOBAL SPIRITUAL AWAKENING
Barna Group’s vice president of research, Daniel Copeland, said that most adults attend church around two out of every five weekends, but Gen Z is reversing the flow.
“This data represents good news for church leaders and adds to the picture that spiritual renewal is shaping Gen Z and Millennials today,” Copeland said.
“Gen Z males are becoming fed up with a virtual world run by algorithms and dating apps… and are seeking something real,” said Dr. Cory Marsh, professor of New Testament at Southern California Seminary. “Churches should respond to the current trend by modeling grace and truth, without elevating one above the other.”
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There is a gender split. A 2024 report shows that young women are leaving church at significantly higher rates. The data show that 61% of women identify as feminist and are suspicious of any institution that upholds traditional social norms, according to the Survey Center on American Life.
Corey Miller, PhD, president and CEO of Ratio Christi, said the contrast is largely tied to radicalized ideologies taught at universities.
“As go the universities, so goes the culture,” Miller explained.
Dr. Douglas Groothuis, a professor of apologetics and Christian worldview at Cornerstone University, said churches must preach the message of the Bible in a loving manner as part of its core mission.
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“The answer for the church is not to adopt its message to the times, but to preach and teach and defend the truth of the Bible in a strong, but loving way,” Groothuis said.
Bible sales jumped 22% in 2024, compared to less than 1% growth for print books overall, according to Circana BookScan.
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Data from the State of the Bible USA 2024 report show that more than 20% of Gen Z say they increased their Bible reading last year, another sign a new revival may already be underway.
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