Men now surpass women in church attendance, especially among Gen X, millennials: Barna

[Michie]

In a shift that has become much more noticeable in five of the last six years, men, especially among millennials and Generation X, have been outpacing women in church attendance. The trend spiked significantly this year, a new Barna report has found.

Data collected as part of Barna’s ongoing State of the Church initiative with Gloo show that following the COVID-19 lockdowns, men have been outpacing women in church attendance by significant margins. This year, Barna researchers found that 43% of men reported attending church weekly, compared with 36% of women.

“Across every generation, women are trailing men in weekly church attendance, especially among Gen X and millennials,” Barna researchers wrote.

Married fathers with children under 18 were found to be leading the way in church attendance, while single mothers trailed both married mothers and fathers on the measure. Just 24% of single mothers reported that they attend church weekly.

The gap in church attendance between men and women this year is the largest ever recorded by Barna since they began tracking the trend decades ago.

Continued below.

Men now surpass women in church attendance, especially among Gen X, millennials: Barna

In a shift that has become much more noticeable in five of the last six years, men, especially among millennials and Generation X, have been outpacing women in church attendance The trend spiked

www.christianpost.com

 

[PloverWing]

I'd be interested in seeing this broken down by church/denomination. Is the increase happening primarily in nondenominational megachurches, or is it also happening in Catholic and traditional Protestant-denominational churches? I couldn't tell from the article.

 

[Delvianna]

I'd be interested in seeing this broken down by church/denomination. Is the increase happening primarily in nondenominational megachurches, or is it also happening in Catholic and traditional Protestant-denominational churches? I couldn't tell from the article.

I agree and what denominations do they regard as a church? Are Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons included? Because it seems that the "Gloo" company just has pastors input their church data. So literally anyone who calls themselves Christian can do this.

 

[timothyu]

Perhaps they seek a better linen count female compared to the overabundance of bargain basement female attitude on the prowl out there. Of course outnumbering the church females it too may be eventually seen as futile. Hopefully they will pick up on some quality word of God as long as they are there.

 

[bèlla]

Given the state of men it isn’t surprising to see them returning to church. People frequently do so when they’re suffering and when you compare the data you see the opposite among women. They’re progressing and moving away from traditional institutions and values to some degree. That’s why we see a correlating increase in education, entrepreneurship, intentional singleness and childfree ideals. Which led to the prediction that 45% of women will be single by 2030 and there’s a reciprocal effect on men. Nearly half will be unattached and will require the church’s support and they’re in the right place.

@ThisIsMe123 add this to your list. ;-)

~bella

 

[timothyu]

and they’re in the right place.

Yet these emancipated are not?

 

[bèlla]

Yet these emancipated are not?

I merely pointed out the correlations for the trend and I wouldn’t call them emancipated. They’re growing in ways others haven’t and challenging their beliefs. Which doesn’t mean a cessation of God but you’re less inclined to fit a role that wasn’t His design. Women no longer define themselves as they were told which wasn’t biblical.

~bella

 

[RDKirk]

But for the long term, women leaving the church will mean fewer members in church over time. It's mothers and grandmothers who perpetuate religious tradition.

 

[johansen]

43% vs 36% isn't a huge difference, but it is the trend that is interesting.

I do not believe it is the general economic well being of women that has lead to their decreasing church attendance, rather, it is the fault of the k-12 education system and societal pressures which teaches young women to believe that men and religion are dangerous for women. Yes, of course in some ways it was dangerous. My mother for example, put up with significant abuse and the church elders (1990-2001 timeframe) told her to just forget about it. About a decade later I think is when women and girls began to be respected more and were given greater autonomy to report abuse. Not a bad thing. however.. you still need to find your mate preferably before age 25! something that is now discouraged.

Young men, who have been left behind in many ways and young adult men, who are now lower than women in terms of percentage with college degrees, are realizing something is wrong and some of them may indeed be going to church looking for direction. In general, biologically, men are leaders, (because for 10000's of years had to provide for a continuously pregnant woman at home in the hopes of your dna remaining on the planet), but very few men have been taught leadership skills by their parents or by society. (I was fortunate to be in both cubscouts and boyscouts, to a limited extent i learned how to herd cats.) But as for male leadership and running a business and making money, my dad didn't teach me any of that.

About 7 years ago at a young adult youth group in the pacific northwest, a russian, married christian man showed up and while i didn't like part of his character, i do remember he had some interesting conversations with a woman who had been in the us navy, in which he was fairly aggressively asking her you know, what are your plans in life, what are you going to do to get promoted at work, etc. the tenacity and aggressiveness in him, to try and help that woman make a path forwards and figure some problems out, i've not seen except in about 1% of the population. Yet that is what is grossly needed, or our alleged christian american society is going to become overrun with corporations seeing profit at the expense of everyone.

Instead, people like him tend to get asked to leave churches, so, its just a social gathering not a place that is actually useful for young men. but, there is still the religious component which both men and women do instinctively want.

i once told a 70+ year old man to ask Jesus what to do with his remaining time on this earth, and be warned, the devil will show up real quick to tell you what to do. he laughed, knew what i was talking about.. but said what amounts to: i've never heard anyone tell me that before.
he did go to church regularly for decades, i gathered that he enjoyed the natural high he got from singing worship songs..
but made enough in the porn industry to buy 5 houses back in the 70's and 80's...

But he had never heard a pastor encourage or even suggest asking Jesus directly for personal guidance!

 

[bèlla]

But for the long term, women leaving the church will mean fewer members in church over time. It's mothers and grandmothers who perpetuate religious tradition.

That’s the danger of repression. When they face the one in the mirror they’ll realize the other’s approval isn’t required and find their wings. We’re witnessing the emergence of the renaissance woman and if you doubt it look at the videos on my post. When you pour into yourself you’ll leave many behind.

~bella

 

[johansen]

a somewhat relavant post here
https://www.reddit.com/r/spirituality/comments/1o2ivv6 assuming this is true, and i tend to think it is, it helps explain why i spiritually knew the christian red pill communities would die out, over a decade ago. God wasn't in it.

keep in mind that there are growing pains and backlash as a result of anyone, or anything, losing power. we may be seeing this now.

 

[bèlla]

a somewhat relavant post here
assuming this is true, and i tend to think it is, it helps explain why i spiritually knew the christian red pill communities would die out, over a decade ago. God wasn't in it.

Their communities were an outgrowth of the manosphere which has no bearing on the Lord. You don’t need a download to figure that out. It’s evident in their rhetoric.

~bella

 

[RDKirk]

That’s the danger of repression. When they face the one in the mirror they’ll realize the other’s approval isn’t required and find their wings. We’re witnessing the emergence of the renaissance woman and if you doubt it look at the videos on my post. When you pour into yourself you’ll leave many behind.

~bella

This thread is a conversation I had with my daughter a couple of weeks ago.

 

[bèlla]

This thread is a conversation I had with my daughter a couple of weeks ago.

What did you advise?

~bella

 

[RDKirk]

What did you advise?

~bella

We're in conversation.

There's not really anything for me to advise. She's nearly 40 years old. She's found a way to feminize her faith in Christ beyond the limitations of organized religion.

 

[Hvizsgyak]

In a shift that has become much more noticeable in five of the last six years, men, especially among millennials and Generation X, have been outpacing women in church attendance. The trend spiked significantly this year, a new Barna report has found.

Data collected as part of Barna’s ongoing State of the Church initiative with Gloo show that following the COVID-19 lockdowns, men have been outpacing women in church attendance by significant margins. This year, Barna researchers found that 43% of men reported attending church weekly, compared with 36% of women.

“Across every generation, women are trailing men in weekly church attendance, especially among Gen X and millennials,” Barna researchers wrote.

Married fathers with children under 18 were found to be leading the way in church attendance, while single mothers trailed both married mothers and fathers on the measure. Just 24% of single mothers reported that they attend church weekly.

The gap in church attendance between men and women this year is the largest ever recorded by Barna since they began tracking the trend decades ago.

Continued below.

Men now surpass women in church attendance, especially among Gen X, millennials: Barna

In a shift that has become much more noticeable in five of the last six years, men, especially among millennials and Generation X, have been outpacing women in church attendance The trend spiked

www.christianpost.com

Yes!!! I knew if we tried hard enough, we could surpass the women .

 

[johansen]

Their communities were an outgrowth of the manosphere which has no bearing on the Lord. You don’t need a download to figure that out. It’s evident in their rhetoric.

~bella

no, i'm not talking about secular red pill.

i'm talking about christian ones.

the reason its wrong isn't because men don't need to learn male leadership from christian men.
It was wrong because it was basically a prosperity gospel version of it.

 

[bèlla]

no, i'm not talking about secular red pill.

i'm talking about christian ones.

the reason its wrong isn't because men don't need to learn male leadership from christian men.
It was wrong because it was basically a prosperity gospel version of it.

I looked up the term and this is what I found.

‘Doing What God Designed Men To Do’: Red Pilled Christians’ Quest for Patriarchy, According to Scripture - GNET

gnet-research.org

This Insight argues that Christianity is a justifying force for the online Reddit group ‘Red Pilled Christians’ (RPCs). RPCs weaponise their Christian faith to fit a Red Pill agenda, which involves securing Christian patriarchy, subordinating women and suppressing rights for gender or sexually diverse people. RPCs believe that the Bible is a ‘Red Pilled’ text, the teachings of which have been corrupted by feminism and ‘Blue Pilled’ propaganda of equality, as opposed to a Christian patriarchy that the Scripture sets out.

This Insight investigates how RPCs use Christianity to advocate patriarchal supremacy through three thematic concerns: (1) anti-feminism, (2) biblical inerrancy, and (3) reinstatement of a golden age.

RPCs fuse Christianity with the Red Pill philosophy, believing that “Biblical Christianity…is an RP [Red Pill] belief system”, as one user highlighted in 2024. RPCs believe in male supremacism from a Biblical perspective, meaning that the sacred text contains principles which dictate how God ‘designed’ men to be leaders in society, including in the family.

Is this what you’re referring to? There’s a thread on reddit asking the same.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChristianDating/comments/1jgsxfd
……

I’m not going to waste my time debunking that.

~bella

 

[RDKirk]

Yes!!! I knew if we tried hard enough, we could surpass the women

It's not so much more men joining as young women also dropping out.

 

[Hvizsgyak]

It's not so much more men joining as young women also dropping out.

What's wrong with those women? Are their minds being polluted by popular culture? They need to join a sorority group in the Church.