For decades, the trend of American church attendance was fairly predictable as older adults and women were the most reliable group of churchgoers, while younger generations and men drifted away. But new research from Barna, a well-known research and polling firm that focuses on the intersection of faith, culture, and society, suggests that the tides are turning. In their September 2025 study, Barna reports that Gen Z and Millennials are now leading a resurgence in churchgoing, and that men are outpacing women in weekly attendance for the first time in modern society.
Barna’s State of the Church data reveals that Millennials and Gen Z Christians are showing up to church more often than their parents and grandparents. The typical Gen Z churchgoer now attends nearly two weekends a month, averaging 1.9 times, with Millennials close behind at 1.8. By contrast, Boomers and Elders are now attending only 1.4 times per month, below the overall adult average of 1.6. This reversal is historic. For decades, younger adults were seen as spiritually disengaged, but today they are driving the momentum of church attendance. Their renewed interest reflects a broader cultural moment of spiritual openness, with signs of revival and rising commitments to Jesus appearing across the country.
Yet the challenge remains: even the most “regular” young churchgoers are present less than half the time. By this metric, churches are finding it harder to assume weekly rhythms of discipleship, community, and volunteer engagement with healthy numbers.
Some might interpret this sporadic attendance rate as proof that young adults are less tethered to institutions. But I believe that the data points to something deeper. Just a decade ago, Gen Z and Millennials were attending at abysmally low rates, often dismissed as a “lost generation” for the church. The fact that they now outpace Boomers and Elders in frequency shows that there is a desire for stability, tradition, and belonging. Far from rejecting institutions, these young adults are signaling that they want church to be a part of their lives. They are looking for a community that takes itself seriously, one that offers the kind of rootedness and authority they cannot find elsewhere. In a culture that is quick to dismiss tradition and structure, their return speaks volumes.
The generational reversal is striking enough, but the gender data is even more unexpected. For nearly all of Barna’s four decades of tracking, women consistently outpaced men in church attendance. That statistic has now been overturned. As of mid-2025, 45% of U.S. men report weekly church attendance, compared to just 36% of women which is the largest gap Barna has ever recorded.
Women’s weekly attendance has been trending downward for over a decade, dropping from more than half in 2009 to just a quarter during the pandemic. Meanwhile, men—especially younger men—are showing renewed interest in faith, with Barna reporting that more are making and maintaining personal commitments to follow Jesus.
Sociologists are still puzzled over the causes. Perhaps the pandemic disrupted women’s congregational ties more deeply, or perhaps men found in church a renewed sense of stability and belonging during cultural upheaval. Whatever the explanation, the reversal is striking because the old assumption that “women are the religious ones” no longer holds.
But what does this all mean for the Church? Taken together, the two trends of youth resurgence and male resurgence signal a profound shift in the American religious landscape. American congregations of the future may be younger and more male than at any point in recent history.
For pastors and ministry leaders, this moment is both an opportunity and a challenge. Younger adults and men are showing up in greater numbers, creating space for churches that offer authentic belonging, mentoring, and spiritual depth to channel this openness into lasting discipleship. Yet attendance remains sporadic, and even the most engaged members are present less than half the time. In order to sustain healthy community life, churches are turning to digital tools, small groups, and relational networks. These practices are helping congregations stay connected despite uneven rhythms of attendance, and they are opening pathways toward a renewed vision of communion and faithfulness together.
All in all, the fabric of congregational life is changing. If stewarded wisely, this moment could mark the beginning of a new chapter in American Christianity, shaped by the unexpected faithfulness of those once thought least likely to return.
Comment by Td on October 3, 2025 at 1:14 pm
But where are they going to church? I would place a huge bet that it isn’t at any mainline protestant churches
Comment by Wilson R. on October 3, 2025 at 1:55 pm
Why should we assume that church attendance correlates with following the Way of Jesus?
Comment by David on October 3, 2025 at 5:25 pm
Religious surveys can be like asking, “Are you a good person.” Many will answer in the affirmative whether or not that is the case. A number of years ago, I heard that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles conducted a survey of Catholics while keeping attendance records at services. It seems people claimed to attend nearly twice as often as they actually did and were far less generous than what they claimed. Half of Americans have no formal membership with any place of worship.
Comment by Qohelet on October 3, 2025 at 5:55 pm
I too am skeptical about these numbers. Pew asked about church attendance recently and 33% responded they go at least monthly and 25% said weekly.
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/religious-attendance-and-congregational-involvement/
Both the 36% for women and 45% for men are way off from that, and Pew is one of the most respected pollsters out there.
Comment by Glenn Wheeler on October 3, 2025 at 11:09 pm
Wilson,
I agree with you. The goal should not be to get people sitting in the pews. The goal should be to make followers of Jesus. Those are not the same.
Qohelet and David, I agree with you, too. People tend to respond the way they think is expected. I, too, have seen the statistics comparing the percentage of people who say they attend church with actual attendance numbers. They don’t match.
Comment by Mark on October 4, 2025 at 12:37 am
It’s been shown many times that people tend to embellish when asked questions about things like how often they go to church or pray or even tithe. It seems a lot of people want to be thought of as being more religious than they actually are.
Comment by Gus Pocsai on October 4, 2025 at 6:32 am
I think we need to be very careful about these resurgences. People we forget we saw a similar resurgence in the church during the last Trump presidency and two years into the biden administration ALOT of those new people had left. great work on the article!
Comment by Herb on October 4, 2025 at 9:27 am
First, it’s true that church attendance does not equal discipleship. But it is a starting point, and it’s measurable.
Second, it’s also true that people often embellish to make themselves look better. I remember a physician once who said he “doubled how much people said they smoked and drank and halved how many times they said they exercised.”
But do we think embellishing just started with this most recent data? Of course not. The key is to not get caught in the exact numbers and details, but to see the trends. And my experience – limited as it is – is that the trends do accurately reflect what’s happening on the ground, particularly regarding a renewed interest by young men.
Comment by Qohelet on October 4, 2025 at 11:41 am
There has been a lot of discussion about the political and religious gap between young men and women. This is a good summary article
https://medium.com/backyard-theology/why-gen-z-men-are-flocking-to-church-e1b2bdb64006
Comment by Orter T. on October 6, 2025 at 12:17 pm
I am a female baby boomer who was raised Mainline in the Methodist Church and as an adult spent 20 good years with a local United Methodist Church during which time I developed a sense of Jesus had died on the cross for me which produced a new level of spiritual energy. Unfortunately, before too long the chaos of the United Methodist Church completely changed the local church and I have been struggling with what to do about church ever since. Even though the local congregation joined the GMC, it is still the UM church I originally distanced myself from. After delving into John Welsey and early Methodism as well as the Heidelberg Catechism, I am more interested in God in my life than I am in a church in my life. And I have come across others who are separating God from church. I struggle with modern churches and contemporary worship because my faith in God is very much grounded in the Great Tradition. Plus, I am concerned about how Jesus is being portrayed, especially to a younger generation. Growing up, I was very much aware of the reality of what happened on the cross without being taught the benefits–something the Heidelberg corrected in a very impressive way. I am now concerned that the benefits are being taught without the reality of what all Jesus endured to bring us into a right relationship with God the Father. It is the guarantee that Jesus can intercede for us in the grittiest and darkest places being human can take us.
My 3 adult children who very much appreciated their life growing up with the local United Methodist Church are not interested in church, but I have been assured that the absence of church in their lives does not indicate a lack of belief.
Based on what I have heard and read, Barna’s survey confirms my experience that the current church landscape has succeeded in becoming a revolving door with new people showing up but previous church people are walking away.
Comment by Glenn Wheeler on October 6, 2025 at 10:45 pm
Orter,
I am yet another who hss separated God from church. Our numbers are growing and will continue to grow.
Comment by Salvatore Anthony Luiso on October 7, 2025 at 1:24 am
Christianity Today recently reported in their article “Study: Gen Z Now Leads in Church Attendance” (https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/09/study-gen-z-leads-church-attendance-average/):
A recent Pew Research Center study found that just 45 percent of adults under 30 attend religious services—a number that seems to have dropped nearly 20 points in 10 years, although comparisons are inexact.
It is possible that the frequency of Gen Z church attendance has increased in the last five years because less-committed, less-regular churchgoers have simply stopped going. Perhaps the ones who still go, are more likely to go more.
Comment by CATHERINE on October 9, 2025 at 11:44 am
” I am the vine and your are the branches”, Jesus said. He also said apart from me you can do nothing. Without Jesus the vines die. Churches wither and die without Him who is the way, the truth and the Life.
I believe that is what is happening in the Christian and Catholic world today.
Stay close to God and his Commandments!