- Sep 10, 2025
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A growing share of Protestant churchgoers in the US say many people aren’t aware that they’re Christians. Still, a majority of them wouldn’t hesitate to let non-Christians know where they stand on their faith, according to a new Lifeway Research study.
In the study, 2025 State of Discipleship Living Unashamed, Lifeway researchers highlight the beliefs, desires and actions of Protestant churchgoers in the U.S. around living unashamed. Living Unashamed is one of eight signposts in Lifeway’s Discipleship Pathway Assessment used to measure spiritual maturity.
The latest Living Unashamed study included responses from 2,130 Protestant churchgoers to six questions collected in a survey conducted from March 19–26, 2025. On a scale of 0 to 100, the average churchgoer scored a 61, which is the seventh lowest among the signposts.
More than half (53%) of Protestant churchgoers either somewhat or strongly disagreed with the statement that “Many people who know me are not aware I am a Christian.” Another 30%, however, either strongly or somewhat agreed while 17% were neutral.
The 30% share of Christians who agree that many people aren’t aware they are Christian reflects a doubling of that cohort since 2013.
Data from a 2013 Lifeway Research study shows that 14% of churchgoers said many people who knew them weren’t aware they were a Christian. That climbed to 20% in a 2019 Lifeway Research study. Approximately six years later, it stands at 30%.
www.christiantoday.com
In the study, 2025 State of Discipleship Living Unashamed, Lifeway researchers highlight the beliefs, desires and actions of Protestant churchgoers in the U.S. around living unashamed. Living Unashamed is one of eight signposts in Lifeway’s Discipleship Pathway Assessment used to measure spiritual maturity.
The latest Living Unashamed study included responses from 2,130 Protestant churchgoers to six questions collected in a survey conducted from March 19–26, 2025. On a scale of 0 to 100, the average churchgoer scored a 61, which is the seventh lowest among the signposts.
More than half (53%) of Protestant churchgoers either somewhat or strongly disagreed with the statement that “Many people who know me are not aware I am a Christian.” Another 30%, however, either strongly or somewhat agreed while 17% were neutral.
The 30% share of Christians who agree that many people aren’t aware they are Christian reflects a doubling of that cohort since 2013.
Data from a 2013 Lifeway Research study shows that 14% of churchgoers said many people who knew them weren’t aware they were a Christian. That climbed to 20% in a 2019 Lifeway Research study. Approximately six years later, it stands at 30%.
A growing number of Protestants say others don’t know they’re Christian
The honesty of churchgoers about gaps in living unashamed reveals large numbers have room for growth in this important aspect of discipleship,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.
