Glendale, AZ — According to a new report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, concerning patterns are emerging in the beliefs and actions of Americans that suggest an unsettling departure from the fundamental principles of the Christian church. The latest edition of the American Worldview Inventory 2023 highlights significant shifts in church attendance, church affiliation and core beliefs.
And America's evangelicals are leading the way.
Only half of evangelicals (55%) believe that people are born as sinners and can only be saved through Jesus Christ.
A popular indicator of the nation's faith is church attendance. At the onset of the pandemic, 39% of adults attended a Christian church service at least once a week. The new AWVI numbers indicate a notable decline in such attendance, dipping to 33%.
Even more significant is the rapid growth among adults who attend church services infrequently (less than once a month) or never. In the past six years, this segment has surged from 35% to 56%, with the majority of the growth occurring since the start of the pandemic. In 2020, 41% of adults attended services infrequently or not at all, while that figure rose to 56% by 2023, indicating a majority of the nation.
Interestingly, the report identifies major declines in attendance among residents of New York (down by 49 percentage points), self-identified liberals (29 points), Pentecostals (26 points), and individuals aged 30 to 49 (25 points) in particular.
Examining the relationship between church affiliation and worldview, the research reveals a decline in the incidence of a biblical worldview among attendees of evangelical churches, dropping from 21% to 14% since 2020—a decline of one-third, mirroring the national trend. Mainline church attendees also witnessed a decline from 8% to 6%. Those attending churches associated with Pentecostal or charismatic denominations are likewise less likely to hold a biblical worldview, with a decrease from 16% to 13%. Adherents of the Catholic Church, however, remained unchanged, with only 1% embracing a biblical worldview before and after the COVID years.
To access a full report and detailed statistical analysis of church attendance, affiliation and core beliefs, click here
The report also unveils astonishing statistics related to the theological perspectives of evangelicals. Only four out of 10 churchgoers in evangelical churches (41%) contend that human life is sacred, aligning with the finding that barely half of evangelicals (55%) believe that having an abortion for any reason other than protecting the life of the mother or child is morally unacceptable. Additional biblical perspectives rejected by a majority of evangelicals include the notion that consistent obedience to God is the best indicator of a successful life (44%) and the belief that world history is God's story, consistently moving toward the fulfillment of His plan for humanity (48%).
Shockingly, only half of evangelicals (55%) believe that people are born as sinners and can only be saved through Jesus Christ. The study also notes that one-third of regular attendees in evangelical churches are not born-again Christians.
Mainline Protestants also demonstrate a lack of views aligned with biblical teachings. Out of the 20 beliefs and behaviors examined, a majority of mainline church attendees display a biblical point of view on only six factors. Some of the most significant differences between mainline and biblical views include the rejection of the teaching that moral truth must be determined by each individual (27%), the belief in the sanctity of human life (39%), and the understanding that human dignity comes from being a child of God (37%). Mainline adults are more likely to consider life accomplishments as an indicator of a successful life (24%) rather than consistent obedience to God. Furthermore, only one-third of mainline attendees (34%) believe in the doctrine of original sin and salvation through Jesus Christ.
The numbers clearly demonstrate how far from its biblical and historical foundations the present-day church has strayed, says Dr. George Barna, Director of Research at the Cultural Research Center. It is also no wonder, he says, that churches are struggling to have a positive influence on the culture when the beliefs and lifestyles of those in attendance bear such a striking resemblance to those of people outside the church. Barna claims it’s time for pastors to clean up their own theology and provide strategic guidance that will restore influence for Christians in American society.
"Churches driven by numerical growth, national reputation, financial comfort, and safe programs are not what Jesus died on the cross to facilitate. We may be in the last days of the opportunity to freely pursue Jesus’s call to make disciples. And we’re well past the time when we should abandon the emphasis on information transmission rather than life transformation. The last three decades have consumed the margin for error in ministry. We’ve reached the point of ‘all hands on deck’ to rescue a hollowed-out church. What is it going to take for Christ’s followers?"
As a first step toward helping American Christians reclaim the substance of their faith, he suggests that pastors launch a campaign to help people understand, embrace and model the seven cornerstones of the biblical worldview.
"It’s a simple way to ease people into biblical faith while providing a solid foundation on which to expand and nurture their faith," he stated.
"What we’ve been doing for decades—topical preaching series, small group discussions and the like—clearly is not working. We’re at 4% of the adult public—including just one out of every seven born-again Christians—owning a biblical worldview. What do we have to lose by changing our strategy?"
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