Conrad Hackett is associate director of research and senior demographer at Pew Research Center and a contributing author to an academic paper written by an international team of scholars that explores the three stages of religious decline. A few weeks after its publication, Hackett penned a Pew Research article that summarizes the paper. While variations of secularization theories have long explained the decline of religious identity in Western Christian nations, this work suggests the global Read More …
Trends
How Big is Too Big? Rethinking Church Real Estate (#2262)
The biggest change in local churches in America during my lifetime is size. The average congregation has grown smaller and smaller. The average worship attendance continues to decline with the average dropping by more than 50% between 2000 and 2020 (see Worship Attendance Cut in Half, 2022). While much of the focus has been on the small and mid-sized congregations that make up the majority, it’s important to recognize that this trend is now beginning to affect larger churches too. A few Read More …
Slow Fade: A New Look at Mainline Protestant Decline (#2252)
The 2024 PRRI Census of American Religion provides an overview of the American religious landscape based on the data PRRI collected from 40,000 survey respondents. Context Since launching this blog in 2009, I've been calling attention to the decline in traditional metrics surrounding American religious belief, behavior, and belonging. This survey included many questions, including about religious identity or lack thereof. Generational Realities For those familiar with how Read More …
Southern Baptist Membership Drops Every Year Since 2006 (#2245)
I am not a Southern Baptist and have never been part of that Protestant denomination. I am, however, someone who has lived most of my life in Texas and who has followed the macro changes within American Protestantism. Since the Southern Baptist Convention's Annual Meeting was held in Dallas this summer, I've been drawn into more conversations than usual about what is happening in this denomination. Finally, as the largest Protestant denomination in America, long-term changes in membership in Read More …
Celebrating Personal and Professional Milestones (#2237)
During the final two weeks of June, I am celebrating three significant milestones: Birthday The only time I previously blogged about my birthday was when I turned 40 (see My Milestone Birthday Experience). Year after year, I continue to celebrate my birthday each year with friends and family. This year my celebrations stretched across an entire week and included special events in multiple states. I'm truly grateful to everyone who reached out to offer birthday wishes and also for Read More …
Going Electric! (#2229)
Every vehicle I have ever owned was gas-powered until now! Beginning to Change In 2019 and in 2021 I purchased hybrid SUVs made by Toyota and Honda respectively. This enabled me to own and operate more environmentally friendly vehicles without ending a lifelong reliance on gas. Going Electric Finally, in May 2025, I made the transition to electric when I bought a 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5. So What? I've been researching and learning about EVs for several years. I decided to Read More …
Fewer Master of Divinity Students (#2227)
In the years since I graduated from seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in 2001 much has changed. The overall landscape of theological education has shifted. While the Master of Divinity degree remains the preferred pathway to ordination in Mainline Protestant denominations, it is increasingly possible for folks to chart paths to ordination without it. And, it is also now possible to complete one's entire program (M.Div. or otherwise) online without ever stepping foot on a seminary Read More …
Are You Part of the 42%? (#2223)
When I ask people to guess what percentage of the American population is made up of white Christians, their answers typically range from just over half to nearly the entire population. And, if they were responding decades ago they would have been correct. In reality, less than half of the population belongs to this group today following decades of decline. Recent Decline Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) published the graphic above in May 2023 illustrating the changes not Read More …
My Action Figure (#2217)
The last few weeks I've seen a number of people posting pictures of personalized action figures still in their packaging. These have been appearing on my Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and Threads feeds with some regularity. Creating I was intrigued and decided to create one. Using a free ChatGPT account, I uploaded a photo and included a prompt that offered a brief overview of my roles as Interim Senior Pastor at Advent Lutheran Church and Chief Executive Officer White Rock Center of Read More …
Surprise! Almost Everyone Goes to Church (#2193)
Unlike most data about church attendance that relies on self-reported responses to survey questions, a new working paper by Devin G. Pope relies on cell phone data. And, amazingly, finds that "73% of people step into a religious place of worship at least once during the year on the primary day of worship (e.g. Sundays for most Christian churches)" Exploring the 73% It is astonishing that more than 7 in 10 Americans physically show up in houses of worship at least once a year. It is even Read More …