A new study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life and Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly has found that the number of individuals claiming no religious affiliation has grown significantly over the last five years, with young adults leading the charge.
According to the study, roughly 20 percent of Americans do not claim any religious allegiance. Among adults under 30, the number is closer to 32 percent. Over 13 million (nearly 6 percent of the adult U.S. population) self-identify as either agnostic or atheist.
Such a trend should not come as a surprise to most Christians. For decades, membership in the established mainline denominations has been in gradual decline (some of those declines being less gradual than others). But in recent years, even churches with a decidedly evangelical bent have found themselves losing members. The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, has reported losses of nearly 150,000 members between 2006 and 2010. And for the first time in history, less than 50 percent of Americans identify themselves as Protestant.
If churches can see a silver lining to the study, it is that more than two-thirds of the unaffiliated still claim to have a belief in God, and over one-fifth claim to pray daily. Still, there are no indications that the current trends are going to reverse any time soon, as each successive generation has indicated a greater comfort with disaffiliation as the one before.
Of course, the Holy Spirit doesn’t rely on percentages or polling data, and there is always the hope that revival is just around the corner. Still, the current environment presents challenges to the Church, including those who seek to reach that segment of the population that resides behind bars. How do we minister to others when they lack the same basic framework and understanding of the world that Christians have long taken for granted? How do we best tailor the Good News of Christ for generations who are becoming less and less familiar with the story?
Perhaps Paul’s address to those gathered at the Areopagus in Athens should be prescriptive. There is an opportunity to introduce many of these unaffiliated individuals to Christ for the first time, free of any baggage or misconceptions that previous generations might have had. Regardless, there is an increasing need to take the message of Jesus outside the church walls and into all the world – including the dark corners of our jails and prisons. And programs like the “Prisoners to Pastors” program are even more vital in reaching those who might otherwise never step foot in a church building.
If you would like to learn more about being the “blessed feet” that bring good news to those in prison, please visit our Get Involved page.