According to US researchers, churches in America are closing down at an alarming rate. The younger generations are straying further away from Christianity, and churches are losing followers on a daily basis.
Some believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the populace’s church-going decisions. Others believe that a shift away from religion was bound to happen. In the midst of this phenomenon, pastors have to seek out church-goers to maintain a community readily.
So why are churches closing down in America? Is it a lack of faith? Or are the newer generations done with religion as a whole? Read on to know more.
Why Did Americans Stop Going to Church?
Different factors have contributed to the decrease in the number of church-goers in America. The primary among them was the pandemic when thousands of churches had to be closed during peak infection time. The younger generation is also not keeping up with the habit as they no longer feel the church environment is supportive of their choices.
The pandemic closures led to people breaking the habit of visiting the church. A lot of churches had to work hard to get people back. Furthermore, people don’t want to go through the hassle anymore as they realize they don’t need to visit the church every Sunday.
There has also been a notable rise in the number of non-religious people identifying as atheists or agonists. According to a survey, only 67% of Americans attend church at least once a year in comparison to 75% in pre-pandemic times.
A steady decline in the number of young adults attending the church is due to conflict with the church’s political and social stance. Church members are seen to be judgemental or hypocritical, and youngsters find it hard to adapt to the environment.
Many move away from their hometowns for careers and other reasons and stop attending church in the new place.
Why are so Many Millenials and Gen Zs Leaving Church?
A vast majority of millennials have abandoned their religion, despite being raised in Christian homes. Nearly 40% of American Gen Z are unaffiliated. The sense of obligation to attend Mass every week is gone, and it is now upon the church leaders to convince people to step inside. Thus, a lack of pastoral care paired with overt condemnation, corrupt power-grabbing churches, and scandals has driven away the younger generations from the church.
Some of the reasons behind millennials and Gen Z not attending services more often are disagreement with religious practices, church hypocrisy, pushy or demanding church leaders, and corrupt churches too concerned with money/power/politics. Other reasons like being too busy to attend, work conflicts, or others are also present.
Those who never grew up in religious families are unlikely to become religious after growing up. Many stop believing in the religion’s teachings and are tired of the harmful teachings regarding the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community. The clergy sexual abuse scandals have also driven people away from churches.
Complicating the issue further is the tendency to stereotype non-attendees as hedonists. 67% of Americans believe it is unnecessary to believe in God to be morally fair. America remains a religious country, but the trend to stray from religion is also visible.
Why are Churches Closing Down?
As the number of people attending churches is dwindling, it leads to a decrease in congregations. When it reaches a critical point, the church loses its goal and closes. This has led to many churches being sold in the past years.
The last ten years have seen a considerable rise in church sales. Churches later become housing or care homes. The sellers often want it to be used for good purposes, so they are used for housing immigrants or for helping non-profits in their endeavors.
Church closures aren’t spread evenly across America, as fewer churches in Texas were sold. This may be due to the governor allowing churches to remain open in May 2020, despite the pandemic.
Closures are often a result of the church’s inability to adapt. Sometimes, the congregation stops reaching young minds and families. Most of the time, it is a direct consequence of not changing with the demographic.
In conclusion, Millennials and Gen Z are leaving churches as they view the church as a political, judgmental, and hypocritical institution. Those leaving churches are becoming unaffiliated with religion.
Millennials have been leaving the church due to disagreements on major societal issues like the LGBTQ+ community, abortion, divorce, and issues relating to women’s rights.
Do you think that the percentage of Americans leaving churches will only increase in the future? Or will pastors make a steady effort to make society better, which might get reflected in the number of followers?
Tell us in the comments below.
