Church Trends

“Lifeway Research published a report on Tuesday about the Annual Church Profile (ACP) statistics, which found that SBC membership dropped by over 3% last year, going from approximately 12.72 million members in 2024 to approximately 12.33 million in 2025.” - CPost

“Not dead yet, but megachurches have been tried and found wanting by most Americans.” - MinistryWatch

“Currently, 25 percent of U.S. Protestant churchgoers say that during difficult circumstances, they sometimes doubt God loves them and will provide for their lives. Almost 2 in 3 (64 percent) disagree, and 12 percent neither agree nor disagree.” - Baptist Press

“In 2024, Lifeway Research estimates 3,800 new Protestant churches were started in the U.S., while 4,000 churches were closed. This is based on analysis of congregational information provided by 35 denominations or faith groups, representing 58% of all Protestant churches.” - Lifeway

“Millennials and Gen Z outpace the 12-point increase, with reading jumping 16 points among Millennials, half of whom now read Scripture weekly. Among Gen Z, the 49 percent who read Scripture at least weekly represents a 19-point climb.” - Baptist Press

“The Presbyterian Church in America gets a gold star. They’ve got individual church-level data for most of their 1,700+ congregations. So, let me show you all the cool stuff I can do with data like this.” - Ryan Burge

“How will churches adapt to support the growing faith engagement of young men—and the growing disengagement of women, particularly single mothers?” - C.Leaders & Barna

“Pastors ages 50+ score notably higher in overall flourishing (78) compared to their younger counterparts (74), with particularly pronounced differences in vocational satisfaction and well-being. Similarly, pastors of color report higher levels of faith flourishing and overall flourishing compared to their white colleagues.” - C.Leaders

“De-Urbanization… For Keller, ministering in cities was ministering to the future. To plant churches in rural or suburban areas was a losing proposition. This is no longer the case.” - Juicy Ecumenism

“Greear’s observation about treating church like a ‘religious show’ hits at the heart of the issue…. When we consistently arrive late to our worship services, what message are we sending about the nature and importance of what we’re gathering to do?” - TGC