The Great Dechurching (with David French and Michael Graham)
Oct 14, 2023
auto_awesome
David French and Michael Graham discuss the reasons for the significant decrease in church attendance in the US, including relocation, inconvenience, and family changes. They explore different demographics and characteristics of those who have left evangelical churches. Solutions discussed include individual outreach, personal connection, and approaching an anxious world with humility and kindness.
Approximately 40 million adult Americans have left houses of worship in the last 25 to 30 years, marking the largest and fastest religious shift in the country's history.
There are different approaches to reconnecting with those who have left the church, such as a simple nudge or personal invitation for casual churchgoers, building relationships and addressing individual and institutional issues for cultural Christians and BIPOC individuals, or exploring other religious traditions for those who may not return to an evangelical church.
The group of ex-fangelicals, who make up around two and a half million people, have 0% willingness to return to an evangelical church, but 79% are still open to attending a Christian church outside of the evangelical tradition, with a high level of orthodoxy remaining within this group.
Deep dives
Understanding the magnitude of the de-churching trend
The podcast episode explores the significant decrease in church affiliation, which is considered one of the most rapid cultural changes in American history. Approximately 40 million adult Americans have left houses of worship in the last 25 to 30 years, marking the largest and fastest religious shift in the country's history.
Different reasons behind de-churching
The reasons for de-churching vary among individuals. While scandals and controversies within the church are sometimes cited, the majority of people who left did so casually, unintentionally moving away from regular church attendance due to factors such as relocation, inconvenience, or family changes. However, there is a significant group of approximately 10 million people who left due to pain or abuse experienced within the church.
Possible approaches to address de-churching
There are different approaches to reconnecting with those who have left the church. For individuals in the casual group, a simple nudge or personal invitation can motivate them to return to church. Establishing trust and understanding is essential for the group that needs to be at the 'dinner table' and includes cultural Christians and BIPOC individuals. However, there are some individuals who may never return to an evangelical church, but may be open to exploring other religious traditions. Overall, building relationships, showing genuine interest, and addressing individual and institutional issues within the church can contribute to combating the de-churching trend.
Insights on Different Groups and Ethnicity
The podcast episode explores the different groups that have left evangelical churches, including cultural Christians, mainstream Christians, ex-fangelicals, and the BIPOC group. It is noted that while the machine learning algorithm used to sort the groups did not consider race or ethnicity, there was a clear pattern of sorting based on ethnicity. The BIPOC group had no white participants, while the other groups had a majority of white participants. Additionally, the episode highlights that the BIPOC group left in the late 1990s and had the highest income and education among the four groups, with a significant number of African American men in this group.
Understanding Ex-Fangelicals
The podcast also delves into the specific group of ex-fangelicals, who make up around two and a half million people. An important distinction of this group is that 0% of them are willing to return to an evangelical church, whereas 51% of the overall group of individuals who left evangelical churches expressed a willingness to return. However, it is mentioned that 79% of ex-fangelicals are still open to attending a Christian church outside of the evangelical tradition. Furthermore, this group is noted to have a high level of orthodoxy, with 97% of them affirming that Jesus is the son of God. It is stressed that there is a significant amount of Christianity that remains within this group, along with a smaller percentage who have fully deconverted.
In a wide ranging conversation, founding friend David French takes over the reins for Curtis Chang and discusses the new book, The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? by Jim Davis, Michael Graham, and Ryan Burge. David and coauthor Graham discuss all the reasons for “the great dechurching” with a particular emphasis on the more surprising results, as well as the difficulty reversing the decline in church attendance.
We want to hear your “Campfire Stories” about living out your good faith! Share your stories with us today.
