Christians aren’t as public with their faith as they used to be. In a new study by LifeWay Research, about two-thirds of Protestants said other people know they are Christians, but a growing number are less open.
39% of people who regularly attend Protestant churches say conversations about spiritual matters do not come up in their daily lives, while only 15% strongly assert that matters of faith are a part of their regular conversations with fellow believers.
Going Public
More likely: women, African Americans, Hispanics, evangelicals
Less likely: men, whites, mainline Protestants, younger Christians
“In an increasingly secular culture, fewer people assume you are a Christian,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. “Disciples now must decide if their identity in Christ is important enough to them to bring up in conversations.
“Far more people identify as a Christian on a survey than they do among their acquaintances….One-in-five churchgoers is missing the truth found in Matthew 10:32 that acknowledging Jesus before men is tied to whether Jesus will acknowledge us before his Father.”
Protestant churchgoers believe God is relevant to every part of their life and identity. That was reported by half of women (51%) and one-third of men (35%). Younger respondents were least committed to the concept of God’s involvement in their lives (34%).
“While most churchgoers avoid compartmentalizing their faith, it can be challenging to walk with God in every area of life,” said McConnell. “The majority of churchgoers indicate there are more aspects of who they are that can be better connected to God.”
-With reporting by Baptist Press