Church getting younger: Young people and men show greater involvement in congregations

More and more men and boys are coming to church. A recent study by the Barna Group, a firm that conducts studies on Christianity, showed that 40% of pastors report higher participation among men aged 18 to 35. In addition, the analysis concluded that two out of five senior pastors say their church has experienced higher participation among Generation Z (45%) and Millennials (42%).

Similarly, the study highlighted that in many churches, pastors affirm that younger generations are becoming more strongly involved in congregational activities. Meanwhile, most pastors indicated that Baby Boomers and Generation X have remained about the same.

"For decades, church leaders have reported significant obstacles to reaching younger generations," said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group.

"But something is shifting in what senior pastors are experiencing. Many are now reporting increased engagement among Gen Z and Millennials. Pastors are nearly twice as likely to report increased engagement among Gen Z as among Boomers. And reported engagement among Millennials is 35 percent higher than engagement among Gen X," Kinnaman added.

Increased involvement by younger generations

For Kinnaman, the study evidences a very diverse view of churches: many are getting younger, some are stagnant and about one in 10 is experiencing an overall decline. In that regard, the analysis noted that younger pastors are more likely than those over 45 to report higher participation from both Generation Z and Millennials.

What is important about these results, the study pointed out, is not that participation is growing everywhere. Rather, the evidence indicates that in many churches, pastors are seeing concrete indications of new interest and greater involvement by younger generations.

"In many congregations, younger adults are not only expressing curiosity about faith—they are attending, participating and leaning more fully into the life of the church," the analysis noted.

Religious freedom: A pillar of American society

The data comes as religious freedom remains a pillar of society. A report by Becket showed that Americans show growing support for bringing faith into the public sphere, including at work and on social media.

The Religious Freedom Index 2025 showed an increase in support for religious freedom, which reached a historic 71% support. According to the report's authors, consulted by VOZ, this record score was due to growing support for freedom on several key items in their survey, but especially that relating to the freedom to express and share religion in public: it was the most prominent factor in this year's improvement, with a 3-point increase over last year.

For the researchers, religious freedom remains one of the country's fundamental rights and an essential pillar of a pluralistic democracy. This perspective takes on particular relevance as the nation approaches the commemoration of its 250th anniversary of its founding.