Generation Z adults are nearly evenly divided over whether Christians’ support for President Donald Trump discourages church attendance, with 48% saying it makes them less likely to attend and 52% disagreeing, according to a new study.
The Billy Graham Center Research Institute surveyed 2,365 Americans ages 18 to 28 through NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel between Aug. 9 and Sept. 26, 2024. The Lilly Endowment funded the research.
Researchers found that 48% of respondents agreed with the statement, “Christians’ support of Trump has made me less likely to go to church.”
Among those respondents, 19% “strongly agreed,” 14% “agreed” and 15% “slightly agreed.” Of the 52% who disagreed, 21% “strongly disagreed,” 16% “disagreed” and 15% “slightly disagreed.”
Rick Richardson, a Wheaton College professor of evangelism and leadership who served as the study’s lead researcher, told The Christian Post on Tuesday that the findings have not yet been published and are being developed into a book.
“We realized that spiritual interest among Gen Z young adults is quite high but engagement with churches has decreased over time,” Richardson said. “There has been an upturn recently mainly among men and often with more traditional denominations like Catholicism.”
He said researchers wanted to identify the factors that encourage or discourage young adults from participating in church.
“We wanted to understand the spiritual motivators and demotivators of young adults ages 18 to 28, and among many other factors, we found response to Trump [has] been one.”
Richardson said some results were unexpected, including evidence that young adults viewed churches and church participation more favorably than researchers had anticipated.
“We also found that factors included political, moral and social media demotivators like the political partisanship of many churches,” said Richardson, who also serves as the Luis Palau endowed chair of evangelism.
When asked how congregations could respond, Richardson said trustworthiness and authenticity are especially important for Gen Z adults considering whether to return to church.
“When churches know the trust issues, they can address them head-on, thereby helping their churches reach and attract 18 to 28-year-olds, who are, after all, both the present and the future of the Church,” he said.
“Young adults are not looking for churches to agree with them on every issue, but they are looking for churches and pastors to be deeply honest and direct about where they are at and why.”
Richardson said explaining the reasons behind a church’s positions can help rebuild trust, particularly when leaders are also prepared to listen to opposing perspectives.
He added that “knowing the why helps young adults trust and reengage again” and that whenever “that is coupled with a willingness to hear the other side, young adults will often reengage.”
