Today’s guest post comes to us from Stef W. Kight for Axios.com.
Almost three-quarters of Americans say they expect organized religion to live on well into the future — including 64% of 18-34 year olds, despite the decline in religious practice among millennials, according to an Axios poll conducted by SurveyMonkey for “Axios on HBO.”
Data: SurveyMonkey online poll conducted Nov. 13-15, 2018, among 3,222 U.S. adults. Total margin of error is ±2.5 percentage points; Poll methodology; Chart: Harry Stevens/Axios
Why it matters: The 18-34 year olds are the only age group more likely to say their interest in religion has decreased, rather than increased. But millennials who think religion is here to stay are still in the majority.
- Other surveys have shown that young adults are more disconnected from religion than other age groups. American 18-29 year olds have the highest share of people who say they are “unaffiliated” with religion at 38%, according to the Public Religion Research Institute.
- They also have the lowest share who believe in God, according to the Pew Research Center, with just 51% saying they are “absolutely certain” of God’s existence compared to 62% of 30 to 49-year-olds.
- Religious identity is significantly more diverse among that age group, with only about a quarter identifying as white and Christian compared to almost two thirds of 65+ year olds, per PRRI.
- And Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism have the highest shares of young people among their practicing American populations, with 44% of American Muslims being under the age of 30, according to Pew.
The bottom line: Most young adults in America may think religion will continue on into the future, but their religious landscape and beliefs are rapidly changing.
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About Nelson Searcy
Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of
Church Leader Insights and the
Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including
The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and
The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and
At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.
