THE BIGGEST CHURCH TREND NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT

HERE IT IS: Young men outnumber young women.

For the first generation in history, men are more religious than women. The survey data is clear. 51% of Gen Z girls say they have no religious affiliation, compared to 42% of Gen Z boys: a startling 9-point difference.

A few years ago, college ministers started saying to me, “Our ministry is weird, we have more guys than girls.” But now it's not weird, it's the norm. That number is especially startling given that college enrollment is 60/40 women.

WHY? Multiple reasons, but here's the big one: politics. The survey data is clear.

Girls are growing more politically progressive, and progressives are becoming less religious. Boys are becoming more conservative, and conservatives are remaining fairly religious. Sociologist Ryan Burge notes that Americans now change their religious convictions based on politics rather than changing their political convictions based on their religion. (Please note, this is NOT an endorsement of right-wing politics.)

Personally, after 25 years in collegiate ministry, I've seen a number of graduates deconstruct their faith and/or deconvert. And I’d estimate the ratio to be 4-to-1 women-to-men, often after adopting strongly held progressive beliefs about racism, sexism, and economic issues. I also teach a young singles class at church, and the ratio is about 70/30 men-to-women.

Gen Z already knows them and memes it. “Progressive women can't find husbands, and conservative men can't find wives.” Men and women have probably always been drawn in opposite political directions. But in marriage, they mediate each other and keep one another from either extreme. Now that adults are getting married so much later (30 is the average age for a first marriage), men and women are becoming more polarized in their views.

SO WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT? Certainly, churches should NOT adopt progressive political positions to appeal to progressive Americans. A few denominations have done this, and they’re dying faster than any other. Churches must get their doctrine, practice, and values from God’s Word. And an authentically Christian church will never be right-wing or left-wing; it will always be counter-cultural.

SO WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT? Pastors, student ministers, and parents: it's a discipleship issue! First, we must help our students be formed by God's word and their identity in Christ, not by social media and worldly ideology. Teach them that God's word is true and reliable, and teach them to test ideas against God's word. Hold off on smartphones and social media as long as possible. Second, show students that Scripture commands compassion, and that Christianity has produced IMMEASURABLE good for the world. Christianity is done more than any other force to elevate the status of marginalized people. This is a historical fact (and also helps protect boys from the opposite extreme of right-wing politics.) Third, pray! Both young men and young women need a personal, transforming relationship with Jesus. Let's pray for revival in this generation!