Over the years I’ve written dozens of blog posts about Mainline decline. This morning, I happened upon a tweet that highlights the significance in decline by comparing current Mainline Protestant affiliation rates for those over age 65 with those under age 35.
Ryan Burge, Assistant Professor of Political Science at
Eastern Illinois University, tweeted “4.5% of those under 35 are mainline Prot. vs. 20.6% of those 65+.”
So What?
Put differently:
- For every 20 Americans over age 65, about 5 are Mainline Protestant
- For every 20 Americans under age 35, about 1 is Mainline Protestant
Per Burge, these stats are from the 2018 General Social Survey.
I invite you to pause for a few minutes to ponder these statistics then share your reaction, thoughts, and/or questions.