VENTURA, Calif. (BP)—Christians have less confidence in artificial intelligence than non-Christians, especially when it comes to AI use by churches, Barna Group and Gloo researchers found.

More than half of Christians, 51 percent, said they don’t believe the church and AI should ever intersect. About the same portion, 52 percent, said they’d be disappointed to learn their own church was using AI.

AI has been explored for such uses as sermon preparation and transcription, language translation including Greek and Hebrew, and the creation of art or graphics for sermon illustrations.

Only 22 percent of Christians said AI is good for the church, researchers found, with only 6 percent of respondents strongly expressing the belief.

The skepticism should encourage churches to evaluate AI carefully and responsibly, Gloo, a tech platform for ministry leaders, said in releasing the data Nov. 8. Christians have a responsibility to explore how AI can be used for good, godly purposes that will advance human flourishing, Gloo believes.

“We at Gloo believe we have a moral imperative to use these types of technologies,” Steve Billings, director of Gloo AI initiatives, said on Moody Radio just days in advance of the release. “And not just to use them for our own pleasures, or to see the world use them to advance the world’s purposes, but for us to really pursue what are God’s purposes for these types of technologies.”

Among the study’s top findings:

• More than a quarter of Christians, 28 percent, are hopeful AI can do positive things in the world, compared to 39 percent of non-Christians.
• 27 percent of Christians said they don’t know whether the church should use AI, which Gloo and Barna said indicates a sizable portion of Christians are still making up their minds.
• 19 percent of Christians are fascinated by AI, compared to 24 percent of non-Christians.
• A greater percentage of Christians, 17 percent, don’t understand AI, than the 12 percent of non-Christians who said the same.

Researchers compared the plight of AI, promoted in ministry by such tools as ChatGPT, OpenAI, Jasper and Midjourney, to that of the internet, which sparked skepticism when it was introduced, but is seen widely as essential today.

Kenny Jahng, founder of AIForChurchLeaders.com, recently shared this perspective to attendees at a Barna-led cohort on tech and AI:

“There’s all this fear that AI is going to be taking over the world, it’s going to be human versus machine. [But] if we step back and look at it, there are things that AI is really good for,” Barna quoted Kenny Jahng, who is also editor-in-chief of ChurchTechToday.com. “Technology is here to serve us and not the other way around.”

The findings are based on an online survey of 1,500 American adults, conducted July 28-Aug. 7 by a consumer research panel. Representation was spread across regions, race/ ethnicity, education age and gender, based on U.S. Census Bureau numbers.

WASHINGTON (RNS)—A majority of young Americans from a variety of faiths and no faith say they have experienced a sacred moment, according to a new survey, but their definitions of what is sacred may not line up with those of their parents or grandparents.

The Springtide Research Institute report, “The State of Religion & Young People 2023: Exploring the Sacred,” pushes back on the notion that Gen Z exhibits a simple disinterest in matters of the divine or the spiritual.

More than half—55 percent—of the more than 4,500 people ages 13 to 25 who were surveyed told Springtide’s researchers that they have discovered what Springtide called “experiences that evoked a sense of wonder, awe, gratitude, deep truth, and/or interconnectedness in your life.”

Of those who had, 69 percent said they had experienced a sacred moment more than once in nature, 68 percent said they’d done so in the privacy of their home, and 55 percent said at a place of worship. Respondents could select more than one option.

Besides answering the survey, conducted in October 2022, almost three dozen submitted to interviews with researchers who listened to their descriptions of these moments.

‘The sacred in nontraditional spaces’

Tricia Bruce, director of the Springtide Research Institute, said the report highlights “the prevalence and the overlap of the sacred in nontraditional spaces” even as, increasingly, young people say they have never crossed the thresholds of houses of worship.

“Certainly, we might expect young people to tell us, ‘Yes, I’ve experienced the sacred when I attended a religious service or in prayer,’ and they do. But they also told us: ‘I experienced the sacred in nature,’ ‘I experienced the sacred when I got into college,’ ‘I experienced the sacred in a virtual connection,’” Bruce told Religion News Service in an interview.

“Creative spaces that we may not think of as sacred themselves, or as religious, or we may not materially construct as such, young people are telling us that, in fact, that’s where the sacred lives for them.”

Nearly a third of those surveyed—31 percent—told Springtide they had never participated in a spiritual or religious community. Also, 72 percent of young people trust organized religion only somewhat (45 percent) or not at all (27 percent).

Bruce said the report has implications for faith leaders, particularly youth ministers, who may have been focusing on answering the question, “How do we get young people back?”

Clergy might want to redefine what they consider sacredness, she said. “If we’re looking for the sacred, maybe for young people it does mean going together to have these experiences in these places and beginning to open wide the world as a potentially sacred place through those personal, relational and extraordinary moments.”

For example, Springtide found 56 percent of young people said they considered their daily or weekly engagement in art as religious or spiritual practices, as did 54 percent of those who spent time in nature, 49 percent of those who read and 45 percent of those who prayed.

In interviews for the report, the top five terms voiced by young people defining “the sacred” were: special, relationships, places of worship, religion and God.

The report urged faith leaders and other adults who work with young people in religious or secular settings to consider fostering what Springtide called a “sacred sensibility” by helping them connect to the divine in new ways, build close relationships with others and feel emotions that contribute to well-being.

In interviews, young people said they were yearning for such opportunities, “even if they make me uncomfortable,” said one respondent.

Among the ways adults can answer those requests, Springtide suggests, is to listen to how young people define sacredness and be vulnerable about expressing their own faith, which could help those younger than them on their own spiritual journeys.

“Inviting young people beyond the traditional and typical provides room for them to experience something beyond the ordinary,” the report states.

Other findings about young people from the 72-page report include:

• 68 percent say they are at least slightly religious—32 percent slightly, 25 percent moderately and 10 percent very.
• 78 percent say they are at least slightly spiritual—32 percent slightly, 29 percent moderately and 17 percent very.
• 28 percent say they have become more spiritual or religious over the past two years.

The research is based on a sample of 4,546 young people ages 13 to 25 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. The respondents included 62 percent ages 18 to 25 and 38 percent ages 13-17.

The data, collected in October 2022, is nationally representative for age, gender, race/ethnicity and region. But the report notes it is unclear how representative it is about religion so “data are therefore best understood as tracking broad patterns rather than providing precise point estimates.”

Springtide, a Minnesota-based research institute, was founded in 2019 and is rooted in the tradition of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, a Roman Catholic lay religious organization that has focused on addressing the needs of young people.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn.—When churchgoers move to a new congregation, most say their reasons for change had a little to do with both their old and new churches.

Lifeway Research studied 1,001 U.S. adults who identify as Protestant or nondenominational, attend church worship services at least twice a month and have attended more than one church as an adult.

During the research screening process, it was determined 53 percent of U.S. regular churchgoers say they have attended more than one church as an adult.

Among those who have switched congregations, 63 percent say they’ve regularly attended only two to three churches as an adult, while another 22 percent have attended four to five congregations.

Fewer say they’ve been active at six to seven churches (8 percent), eight to nine (3 percent) or 10 or more (4 percent).

For most of those changing churches, changing homes was a factor. Three in 5 church switchers—60 percent—say a residential move impacted their decision to leave their previous church and begin attending a new one.

 “The reason pastors and churchgoers talk about church switchers is because it is not a negligible number of people changing churches,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.

“However, chronic church switching is not the norm. The biggest group of churchgoers are those who have been at the same church throughout their adult lives, and the next biggest group are those whose church changes were necessitated by moving too far to attend their previous church.”

Reasons for leaving

Still, 40 percent of church changes were driven by something other than a residential move. When examining reasons people switched to a new congregation without moving, several factors stand out.

More than 1 in 4 church switchers say they changed because some things changed about the church they did not like (29 percent), the church was not fulfilling their needs or reasons for attending church (29 percent), they became disenchanted in some ways with the pastor (27 percent) or they became disenchanted with the church (26 percent).

For 22 percent, the change happened because they could not agree with some of the church’s teachings or positions on issues or politics. One in 5 say they felt out of place at their previous church—20 percent—or changes in their life situation caused them to stop attending (18 percent).

Issues related to COVID-19 drove 13 percent of church switchers to find a new congregation. Around 1 in 10 say they left because they had problems or conflicts with someone else at the church or the congregation itself had a conflict (11 percent) or their beliefs or attitudes toward church and religion changed (9 percent).

For 2 percent, they had to find a new church because their previous one closed. Another 23 percent say they stopped attending for other reasons.

 “The typical person changing churches has multiple reasons for making this change,” McConnell said. “Broadly speaking, people leave a church when they disagree with change, are disgruntled or disagree with the church’s positions. It is much less common to see people leaving because their own religious beliefs changed.”

For each of the reasons given by those whose church change was not the result of a residential move, more specific church-switching justifications exist.

• Changes in the church

Among the 29 percent who say they changed churches because the church itself changed, more than half (53 percent) say too many things in general changed.

Around 2 in 5 (39 percent) say the church’s teachings on political or social issues changed in ways they didn’t agree with. For 1 in 3, the church’s religious teachings or beliefs changed in ways they didn’t agree with (34 percent) or the pastor or church staff they liked left the church (33 percent).

• Unfulfilled needs

For the 29 percent who say they switched due to the church not fulfilling their needs, most (62 percent) say their previous church was not helping them to develop spiritually. For 2 in 5 (41 percent), they did not feel engaged or involved in meaningful work in the church.

Around a quarter say they did not become friends or close with anyone at the church (27 percent), the church did not help them find happiness (26 percent), the church did not help them find answers to questions in their life (22 percent) or no one seemed to care about their situation or problems (22 percent).

• Pastoral problems

The 27 percent who left their previous church due to the pastor have a mix of complaints. They’re most likely to say the pastor seemed hypocritical (36 percent). A third (33 percent) say the pastor was not a good preacher. Around 3 in 10 say the pastor was judgmental of others (30 percent) or seemed insincere (29 percent). Close to a quarter say the pastor had a moral or ethical failure (24 percent) or had no clear purpose or vision (23 percent).

• Congregational disappointments

Among the 26 percent who switched after being disenchanted with their previous congregation, 32 percent point to members being judgmental of others, 30 percent say members seemed hypocritical, 29 percent believe the church didn’t really seem to be a place where God was at work, 29 percent say the church settled for mediocrity and 26 percent believe the church was run by a clique that discouraged others from getting involved.

• Teaching and issue disagreements

More than 1 in 5 (22 percent) of those who left a congregation for non-residential move reasons say it was related to the church’s teaching or position on issues.

The specific reasons under that category paint a complicated picture. One in 3 (33 percent) say the pastor or church seemed aligned with a particular political party or ideology. Another 31 percent point to teachings on theological issues, 26 percent to teachings on applying the Bible to life issues and 24 percent to teachings on moral issues.

For 28 percent, their previous pastor or church was too liberal for their taste, while 23 percent say their previous pastor or church was too conservative. Additionally, 22 percent say the church was too politically active, while 8 percent say the congregation didn’t engage in politics enough.

More than 1 in 5 say their pastor expressed woke opinions (22 percent) or ignored injustice (22 percent). One in 5 (20 percent) say they felt judged based on their political views.

• Out of place

For the 20 percent who say they felt out of place at their previous church, the top reason was because they had a different view of church or religion than the other members (43 percent).

Many also said their home or family situation was different than most members (30 percent), they felt out of place in terms of social class or education (28 percent) or most other members were a different age than them (23 percent). Few say they left because most other members were of a different ethnicity (6 percent).

• Life changes

Among the 18 percent who say life changes pulled them away from their previous church, 26 percent say family or home responsibilities prevented them from attending, and 24 percent point to a work situation keeping them away.

Relationship issues played a role for some, including 19 percent who divorced, separated or were widowed, 17 percent who were taking or going with someone else who no longer attended, and 11 percent who got married. Another 15 percent say illness or infirmity kept them away.

Around 1 in 10 say they simply got too busy to attend (11 percent), they just wanted a break from church (11 percent) or their children’s activities were on Sunday (8 percent).

• COVID-19

The pandemic contributed to the decisions of 13 percent of those who changed churches for reasons other than a residential move. The primary reason those churchgoers say they switched congregations is their previous church closed temporarily (55 percent), and 9 percent say their church closed permanently.

Other reasons revolve around different responses to COVID-19. A quarter (25 percent) say their previous church focused too much on streaming services. For 21 percent, their church did not take COVID-19 seriously enough.

Almost 1 in 5 (19 percent) say the church implemented COVID-19 policies they disagreed with, and 15 percent say the pastor or church expressed an attitude toward COVID-19 that differed from their own. Close to 1 in 10 say the church made no changes due to the pandemic (11 percent), and 9 percent say the church argued too much about COVID-19.

Old versus new

Church switchers are slightly more likely to say their decision to change congregations was motivated by a need or desire to join their current church (52 percent) than to leave their previous one (48 percent). Understandably, those who changed churches are likely to say their current church is performing better than their previous one.

When comparing their current church and the one they left, more than half of church switchers say their current congregation meets their needs more with sermons that are consistently engaging or enlightening (58 percent), preaching that is relevant to their life (58 percent), church members and pastors who seem authentic (57 percent), being welcoming or friendly (57 percent), fostering spiritual growth (56 percent), caring for the community in tangible ways (56 percent), having unity among members (55 percent) and doing things with excellence (55 percent).

Most church switchers also say they see God at work in people’s lives at their new congregation more than their previous one (57 percent), find it easy to worship because of the style and elements of the worship service (54 percent), have developed deep relationships with fellow church members (52 percent) and agree with the teachings, beliefs or doctrines (52 percent).

Not quite half say their current church is better at making them feel like they don’t want to miss services (49 percent), providing them with opportunities to use their talents (49 percent), being actively involved (49 percent) and having worship services that are convenient for them to attend (48 percent).

Many say their current church and previous church are the same in those areas. Only on three topics do at least 1 in 10 church switchers grade their previous church higher—13 percent say they have fewer deep relationships with fellow church members in their current church; 13 percent say they are less actively involved; and 10 percent say their current church provides fewer opportunities to use their talents to serve.

“Almost half of church switchers are motivated by the need to get out of a church they are displeased with. But that doesn’t mean the change won’t impact them for the better,” McConnell said.

“While the biggest improvements reported by church switchers are things they receive, large numbers also report that personal spiritual growth, deeper relationships, increased involvement and service resulted from their church move.”

Thinking specifically about preaching, church switchers praise their current pastor’s sermons more when compared to their previous one. Almost 9 in 10 (89 percent) say the sermons in their current church are clear and understandable, compared to 48 percent who say the same about their previous church.

Similar percentages say sermons at their current church are interesting enough to hold their attention (88 percent) versus at their previous church (44 percent).

For each issue, church switchers are far more likely to praise their current church’s sermons than sermons from their previous church, including being relevant to their life (85 percent vs. 49 percent), challenging them to live and think as Scripture teaches (84 percent vs. 43 percent), teaching them something they didn’t already know (84 percent vs. 43 percent), focusing on a specific topic (82 percent vs. 44 percent) and focusing on a specific text from the Bible (81 percent vs. 44 percent).

Church switchers are most likely to say their current church is the same size as their previous church (56 percent). Among those who changed church size, however, they’re more likely to move to a larger one (27 percent) than switch to a smaller church (17 percent). A statistically significant number moved to a church with more than 250 in worship attendance (27 percent), compared to those who previously were in such a church and switched (22 percent).

Half (49 percent) of church switchers say their previous church had a traditional style of worship, while only 38 percent say the same about their new congregation.

Most of those who switched worship styles made their way to a congregation with a mix of contemporary and traditional, as 30 percent say that mix described their previous church and 39 percent say it describes their current one.

Additionally, 20 percent say their previous congregation was contemporary, and 23 percent say the same about their new one.

Committed to the current congregation

Those who have left one church and joined another seem to be as bought in or more so in their current congregation as their previous one. Almost 3 in 4 (73 percent) say they formally joined or became members at their current church, similar to the 71 percent who say they did the same at their previous congregation.

Church switchers are more likely to say they are involved in their current church compared to their previous one in several ways, including attending worship services in person (76 percent vs. 59 percent), being a consistent financial supporter of the church (66 percent vs. 51 percent), volunteering when opportunities arise (60 percent vs. 43 percent), attending a small group (56 percent vs. 41 percent) and holding a non-leader position with regular responsibilities (47 percent vs. 35 percent).

They are just as likely to say they held a leadership position at their previous church (34 percent) as they are to say they are holding a leadership position at their current church (34 percent). Church switchers are more likely to say they serve on a church council or board at their current church (33 percent) compared to their previous one (25 percent).

Most church switchers seem to believe their switching days are behind them now. Almost 4 in 5 (78 percent) say they plan to continue attending the same church in the foreseeable future. Close to 1 in 5 (19 percent) say they plan to continue attending the same church, but they’re open to switching in the future. Few (3 percent) say they are actively looking for a new church.

 “The lack of engagement among members often concerns pastors. Ironically, one thing that appears to spur some people to get more involved at church is leaving to go to a new church,” McConnell said.

“While few pastors would encourage such a move, challenging people to focus less on what displeases them and instead investing in relationships and serving others is a journey worth taking.”

The online survey of American Protestant churchgoers was conducted July 26 to August 4 using a national pre-recruited panel. Respondents were screened to include those who identified as Protestant/non-denominational and attend church worship services at least twice a month and have attended more than one church as an adult.

Analysts used quotas to balance gender, age, region, ethnicity, education, and religion to reflect the population more accurately. The completed sample is 1,001 surveys, providing 95 percent confidence that the sampling error from the panel does not exceed plus or minus 3.1 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

LOS ANGELES (BP)—A plurality of adolescents think sex and romance are overused in television shows and would like to see more platonic friendships portrayed, an annual University of California at Los Angeles study of 10- to 24-year-olds found.

Particularly, 47.5 percent of adolescents ages 13 to 24 think sex is unnecessary for most television plots, 44.3 percent think romance is overused in media, and 51.5 percent want to see more content focused on friendships and platonic relationships, UCLA found in its 2023 Teens and Screens Report released in October.

The numbers should signal Hollywood to stop marketing “explicit sexual content to teens,” the Parents Television Council said in response to the findings.

“These survey results prove that teens are tired of being saturated with sexual content,” Parents Television Council Vice President Melissa Henson said. “It’s time for a new playbook, Hollywood, and it would be a monumental and welcome change.”

Sex and romance ranked 13th among the top 19 storylines teens said they want to view, with hopeful, uplifting content about people beating the odds topping the chart, and stories featuring nonbinary and LGBTQ and related identities at the bottom of the list.

The Parents Television Council called out Hollywood for such shows as HBO’s “Euphoria,” which spotlights high school students navigating life in a world of drugs, sex, trauma and social media; Disney-owned Hulu’s “PEN15,” a comedy with foul language that features middle school teens exploring topics including sex and drug use; and Netflix’s “Sex Education,” with teenagers exploring sexuality in a way that Movieguide has critiqued as “near pornographic.”

The survey results show teenagers want to view a fuller spectrum of relationships, and also support other recent studies showing teens are less driven by sex than were their parents and grandparents, study co-author and UCLA adjunct professor Yalda T. Uhls said.

“We know that young people are suffering an epidemic of loneliness and they’re seeking modeling in the art they consume,” Uhls said. “While some storytellers use sex and romance as a shortcut to character connection, it’s important for Hollywood to recognize that adolescents want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships.”

Quarantines during the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to views expressed in the study, the Parents Television Council believes.

Teens “were deprived of real-life time to learn about relationships during lockdowns, and now they need to see and understand how all kinds of relationships work, not just portrayals of romantic or solely sexual relationships,” Henson said.

UCLA’s 2023 report, conducted by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers, surveyed 1,500 people ages 10 to 24 in August, including 100 young people from each participating age bracket, and reflecting 2020 U.S. Census findings in race and gender.

Some observers criticized the recent Roman Catholic Church’s Synod on Synodality for failing to take bold positions on controversial issues. But a Baptist participant at the Synod believes other Christians could learn from the process Catholics followed.

 “Synodality is an unfamiliar word, not only amongst Protestants, but also—I quickly discovered—amongst many Catholics, as well. It means ‘walking together’ or also ‘accompaniment.’ There was a strong focus on listening to one another and seeking to discern together—in contrast to only debating,” Baptist theologian Elizabeth Newman said.

Newman from the United States and Valérie Duval-Poujol from France served as Baptist World Alliance fraternal delegates to the Synod on Synodality.

The summit of 464 Catholic bishops, priest and laity—including women—gathered to discuss a range of issues, based on two years of conversations in Catholic parishes around the world.

As chair of the BWA Commission on Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity, Newman is a veteran of Baptist-Catholic dialogues. She participated in conversations between the BWA and Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, a long-term initiative.

“I believe this kind of ecumenical initiative is important because, as the Baptist World Alliance acknowledges, while for Baptists the local church is wholly church, it is not the whole church,” she said.

“God gathers us in local congregations of discipleship, gatherings that are at the same time part of a larger reality—the church universal. Ecumenism is the active reminder of this truth.

“There is, of course, division and even discord. God calls Baptists and all Christians, however, to seek unity,” she continued, citing John 17:20. “Unity is a way of sharing in God’s mission.”

Religion News Service reported 364 voting participants in the monthlong summit produced a 42-page document, Synthesis Document for a Synodal Church in Mission. RNS noted most of the 20 points in the document passed with overwhelming majorities, but no single paragraph received full consensus.

At the Synod, participants were divided into groups of 12 and “invited to address specific questions that arose out of earlier synodal discussions from the seven continents,” Newman explained.

“Each group considered shared convergences, divergences amongst themselves and ongoing questions that the group had,” she said. “The groups had facilitators, and all members were allowed equal time to speak.”

Prayer and contemplation practiced

Newman praised the Synod’s emphasis on prayer and sensitivity to the Spirit’s leadership.

“In addition to prayer at the opening and closing of each session, there were periods of silence, two to four minutes, usually following about 30 minutes of listening,” she said.

“As I experienced it, the Synod is seeking to form its participants to see synodality as a contemplative way of being. I think Baptists and all Christians could learn from this way of being with one another in contrast to the temptation to be reactive.

“At the same time, synodality is not only listening. The focus is discerning together in light of Scripture and tradition.”

She expressed hope the “contemplative process of synodality” and emphasis on prayer not only will shape congregational discussions, but also future ecumenical dialogue.

Synodality also includes “a strong emphasis on the poor, the migrants, those on the periphery or those who feel excluded from the church,” she added.

“How might fuller attention to those on the margins shape and build up our understanding of being church together?” she asked.

Role of women explored

As expected, the role of women in the church figured prominently in Synod discussions. The Women’s Ordination Conference officially said it was “dismayed by the failure of the Synod to take seriously the overwhelming calls to open all ordained ministries to women.” Even so, it applauded the Vatican for allowing 54 women to vote alongside male bishops for the first time at the summit.

The Synod gave serious attention to asking how to acknowledge fully women’s gifts and roles in the church, Newman said.

“It was quite moving to hear women from different parts of the world speak to the need for their presence and gifts to be more fully received in the life of the Catholic church,” she said. “For me, this discussion related to discussion about authority, which some emphasized, was not simply power as in the secular sphere. Authority is service to assist growth, promoting others and not oneself, and is rooted in the grace of God.”

Newman noted the Synod opened the possibility of ordaining women to the diaconate, if not the priesthood. She pointed out Lottie Moon—the revered 18th century Baptist missionary to China—supported a revival of the order of deaconesses, whom she called “holy handmaids of the Lord.”

“While Baptists and Catholics have differences in understanding the role of ‘deacon,’ it would be fruitful ground to explore as a shared possibility for women,” she said.

Challenge of secularization examined

The Synod devoted particular attention to Christian witness in the midst of secularization, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, Newman noted.

“This secularization included the loss or weakening of faith across the generations,” she said. “This would be a shared concern for Baptists and other Protestants, as well.”

Discussion focused on how to include young people in various church roles, listen to their concerns and strengthen their spiritual formation, with special attention to communicating in a digital context, she observed.

“I talked with one sister who has a huge following on TikTok, where she responds to questions that young folks send in,” she said.

Signs of common ground?

Despite distinct theological differences between Catholics and Baptists, Newman saw evidence of common ground in the discussions at the Synod.

“I think many Baptists would have been surprised to hear Catholics emphasizing a personal relationship or encounter with Jesus. This emphasis was in response to reflecting on co-responsibility and a shared understanding of all participating in the mission of the church,” she said.

“Baptists have long emphasized lay involvement in mission. At the same time, Baptists and Catholics can continue to learn from one another how our mission to the faith is to be lived out.”

In small-group discussions at the Synod, Newman noted “a strong emphasis on the witness of holiness or the idea that you’re sharing your own person as well as the good news. Holiness and transformation are part of the gospel.”

Baptists and other Protestants—who accept the priesthood of believers as a central doctrine—could learn from continued ecumenical dialogue with Catholics, she noted.

“The priesthood of all believers is no solo flight, but a communion that radiates,” she said.

WASHINGTON (RNS)—James Walvin, a former Church of England choirboy and professor of history at the University of York, doesn’t remember encountering “Amazing Grace,” in song or in his hymnal.

It wasn’t until he traveled to the United States to research the history of slavery that he came upon the hymn introduced by John Newton, a former slave trader, in 1773.

Since then, Walvin, the author of the new book Amazing Grace: A Cultural History of the Beloved Hymn, has submerged himself in the hymn, which turns 250 this year and has become a staple of Sunday services that has been adapted and adopted by preachers, performers and presidents.

“I wasn’t too keen on Elvis’ version,” Walvin said after a recent visit to the Library of Congress’ “Amazing Grace” collection, which includes more than 3,000 recordings of the song—the only one of Newton’s hundreds of hymns that gained such international stature.

“I certainly was not keen on (1960s orchestra leader) Mantovani’s version,” he added. “I was amazed to listen to Janis Joplin’s version. I mean, who’d think of Janis Joplin and ‘Amazing Grace?’”

Among the thousands of versions, Walvin is especially fond of bass-baritone Paul Robeson’s but gives a nod to “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin as well as “a choir from Soweto, an extraordinarily haunting version of it,” saying they are all “effective in their own different, very distinctive ways.”

Walvin, 81, a longtime non-Christian, spoke to Religion News Service about the hymn, its composer and the “electrifying event” when President Barack Obama drew on its power.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

Why has “Amazing Grace” endured for 250 years?

“Amazing Grace” survived, particularly in the United States and especially in African American communities, because its words speak to a human condition of suffering, and people coming out of suffering, and its music has a kind of haunting refrain that soothes. It has a unique combination of important phraseology—words, verses—and the beguiling music.

How do you explain the fact that John Newton, a former slave trader, wrote a hymn that’s treasured by enslaved people and their descendants?

I think young people find it very hard to get their heads around the fact that here is a hymn of great Christian significance written by a man who’s stained by the brutality and violence of slavery. It’s a historical paradox, really.

But it extends beyond that hymn. There are millions of people at the time, on both sides of the Atlantic, ensnared in slavery, one way or another, who are deep Christians, God-fearing men and women who see no contradiction in their faith and their behavior toward Africans. And that’s one of the extraordinary, difficult things to understand.

You write that Newton spent years trying to become a Church of England priest before he was able to lead a parish and share his hymns. So, this song might never have reached the international stage?

Yes, it speaks to John Newton’s perseverance. To become a minister, you had to have gone to one of the two main universities, Oxford or Cambridge, and he hadn’t been close to either of them. He was not formally educated. Yet he was a deeply learned man, and a deeply religious man. He had to fight against the institutions and against the church to let him in.

Though most of the words are 250 years old, the tune we know best today is newer. How did that come about?

The music that we associate with “Amazing Grace” today is not what people sang for 60 years after Newton wrote it in (December) 1772. We know from the Lomax family—a father and son who recorded folk songs in the United States in the backwoods—that people sang the words through an extraordinary variety of songs. But it’s the music that we now know came together with the words in the 1830s that actually creates that combination that is so potent and so durable.

You trace the hymn’s growing stature as the radio and recording industries grew. Is there an apex? Maybe President Obama’s singing it in 2015, in his eulogy for Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church’s Rev. Clementa Pinckney?

I think what Obama did was to tap into the familiarity and popularity of the hymn in the United States. Obama knew if he sang it on that particularly very emotive moment that he would secure the backing of this largely African American audience in Charleston.

When he begins to sing, it looks as if it’s spontaneous, and no one would claim that President Obama has a good singing voice. But it is an astonishing moment. And if you look at the way the clerics behind him rise to the occasion, and the background musicians—they’re scrambling to get their instruments lined up and working with the president.

He knew the congregation would follow him, and he knew that, by 2015, “Amazing Grace” had become effectively a second national anthem. Very few people don’t know it, don’t know of it or don’t recognize it.

You note that advertisers have used “Amazing Grace.” Can you name some examples?

People sell candies. They sell doughnuts. They sell funeral plans with “Amazing Grace” in the background. Sometimes people don’t notice but it’s that subconscious music that somehow or other lulls people into a sense of appreciation for what’s being promoted.

“Amazing Grace” was part of the soundtrack of the civil rights movement. What role did it play in the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in particular?

At the end of those long, grueling days, when he’s exhausted, threatened by all kinds of horrible violence, as he was trying to unwind and relax in the evening, Mahalia Jackson would sing “Amazing Grace” to him on the telephone. If that isn’t an extraordinary insight into both those people, Jackson and King, I don’t know what is. Here is one of America’s great gospel singers and one of America’s great leaders, united in “Amazing Grace.”

While there are many performances of “Amazing Grace” that you praise, you call the use of a few of its lines by Jan. 6 insurrectionists “a shameless hijacking of a much-loved American song.”

It is interesting that a small section of the crowd tried to use the hymn, but they ran out of steam. No one knew the words after the first verse.

How have you celebrated the 250th anniversary?

The anniversary was launched in Olney in Buckinghamshire, which is where it was written and first performed on New Year’s Day in 1773. I was there. I talked about the hymn in this little village where this lovely church still exists—where Newton was the rector.

I’m going to speak at the end of this year’s celebrations. (Earlier this month) I spoke at a care home in York to only 12 people—old people mostly not really very alert for all the obvious reasons, but they wanted to hear me talk about “Amazing Grace.”

WASHINGTON (RNS)—America’s congregations are in trouble these days.

They’ve faced polarization, a worldwide pandemic, shrinking memberships, a changing culture and uncertain futures.

Like most of us, they could use a few friends to face their troubles with and figure out together how best to respond, says Samford University sociologist Jennifer McClure Haraway.

 “Congregations are experiencing a lot of change in opportunities and challenges,” Haraway said. “We navigate those more effectively when we work together. When we feel like we’re alone, we tend not to navigate them as well.”

In her new book No Congregation Is an Island, Haraway hopes to remind churches and other houses of worship of the benefits of working together. The book is based on a survey of more than 400 congregations in and around Birmingham, Ala., about how they partner with other congregations.

After finishing her initial studies in 2017 and 2018, Haraway wrote a series of academic papers about her findings. But, she said, no one aside from her fellow scholars read the studies.

“Those articles are very technical, and I can’t hand them to any local minister, even though they have practical applications,” she said.

That led to turning her findings into a short and helpful book that would be accessible to congregational leaders. Based on her initial findings along with follow-up interviews and stories, the book looks at how congregations work together with folks from their own tradition as well as those from other groups—and gives tips on how to collaborate better.

Build friendships with other ministry leaders

One of her tips: Go to denominational meetings, which still matter even during a time when those denominations are in decline. But go for the friendship, not necessarily the programs or debates.

“One of the most important things these events can and should nurture are the relationships between ministers and leaders,” she writes.

While working in their own tradition is simpler—having shared theology and common practices makes trust easier—ministers shouldn’t limit themselves to only cooperating with folks from the same denomination, Haraway says. Otherwise, they might miss out on the insights that come from people who have a different point of view.

Working across traditions can be complicated, Haraway writes, especially if groups have different views on core doctrines. Still, as the leader of one non-denominational church put it, there’s a benefit in breaking free of groupthink.

“Sometimes I just want to talk with my mom’s Methodist pastor and see what they’re talking about, because I think they’re probably having a different conversation,” Haraway recalls him saying. “That would be helpful for me.”

The 438 congregations in the study include houses of worship from eight counties, all in the middle part of Alabama. Most are Christian, given Alabama’s place in the Bible belt, but the study did include mosques and synagogues. The congregations ranged from churches with a handful of members to megachurches.

Despite their differences, the congregations in the study often had a great deal in common. One chapter of the book compares the Churches of Christ, a group that uses no instruments in worship, with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The two groups are different from the outside: the Churches of Christ are fiercely independent and skeptical of any hierarchical structures, while the Latter-day Saints have a highly organized and interdependent structure with clear leaders at the top. Both have their own distinct theology.

Yet, both are so-called restorationist movements—founded by people trying to capture something essential about Christianity they believed was lost. Both have a clear sense of their mission and an identity tied to that mission.

“That makes them very tight-knit,” Haraway said.

‘It takes time to develop trust’

One of the last chapters of the book deals with groups that cooperate across racial lines. Almost half the groups Haraway studied had no ties to congregations that had a different racial makeup.

That did not surprise her, given the country’s continuing racial divides and the way churches often closely associate with other congregations from their own denominations—and those denominations are divided racially.

Pastors from different predominantly white groups are much more likely to have full-time roles, while many Black and Hispanic pastors are bivocational, having a day job alongside their ministry. That can make difficult even something as simple as setting a time for pastors from different backgrounds to meet.

The book offers no easy solutions but does offer some advice from congregations that have been able to work together in diverse settings.

“To build healthy partnerships across race, know that it takes time to develop trust,” she advises. “Be patient and be willing to do what it takes.”

Haraway said congregations get three different kinds of help from each other: emotional support, informational support and what she called “instrumental” support. Sometimes they need ideas or a partner who can collaborate on projects.

And sometimes a bit of emotional support—especially for pastors—is crucial, she said.

“One of the ministers I talked with said that he was recently talking with another local pastor who said, ‘You know, some days I just want to quit,’” she said. “And that other pastor said: ‘Me too. Let’s go get lunch.’”

NASHVILLE—Ministry leaders and female churchgoers believe ministry to women is working in their congregations, but both feel there’s room for improvement.

Lifeway Research surveyed 1,001 evangelical and Black Protestant female churchgoers in the United States, along with 842 women’s ministry leaders, for the State of Ministry to Women study.

While acknowledging areas that need more investment, both leaders and those involved see value in their church’s ministry to women. Women in the pews, however, experience those benefits firsthand.

Among women who attend church once a month or more, 96 percent say their church values women, including 80 percent who agree strongly.

Fewer, however, believe their church invests in and equips women or say they have a place where they enjoy serving in their congregation. While 90 percent agree their church invests in and equips women, 63 percent strongly agree. Additionally, 84 percent of women churchgoers have somewhere they enjoy serving in their church, with 59 percent who strongly agree.

“While women are positive about their churches, 1 in 5 indicate there is room for improvement in how well their church values them,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.

“Even more women indicate their church could improve in proactively investing in women, with 37 percent withholding the highest rating for how well their church equips women.”

Still, most of the women are involved in their congregation beyond merely attending worship services. Two in 3 (66 percent) are involved in some type of small group or class for adults at least once during a typical month, including 28 percent who say they attend four times or more.

For around 2 in 3 churchgoing women (63 percent), their congregation has an organized women’s ministry. And another 21 percent say their church has activities specifically for women but nothing formal. Few say their church doesn’t have any activities for women (8 percent) or that they aren’t aware of any (7 percent).

Among those with some type of women’s activities at their church, female churchgoers point to the value that comes from having a women’s ministry. Benefits include stronger relationships among women in the church (68 percent), opportunities for women to be refreshed and restored spiritually and emotionally (65 percent), a place to ask questions and openly discuss faith topics (58 percent), stronger cross-generational relationships (56 percent) and a safe place for women to be transparent about needs and hurts (56 percent).

Other women’s ministry benefits according to women at churches with activities for them are support for what the church as a whole is encouraging (44 percent), receiving more biblical teaching than they would without it (35 percent), more serving in the community (30 percent), more relevant biblical application for women (30 percent), more serving in the church (28 percent) and more ministry done among women (27 percent). Less than 1 percent say none of these are added benefits for their church from their women’s ministry.

When asked what help they’ve received personally from their church’s women’s ministry, close to half say they have developed significant relationships with other women in the church (55 percent) and significant relationships with women in different age groups from their own (50 percent).

 Slightly fewer say it has made them more interested in attending activities that help them spiritually (45 percent), they’ve had more intentionality to their walk with Christ (38 percent), found a place to use their gifting to serve others in their church (36 percent) or have been mentored by a more mature believer (33 percent).

Around 3 in 10 say the women’s ministry has given them tangible ways to serve the local community (32 percent), more confidence to present the gospel (30 percent) and more motivation to invite people to church (28 percent).

“Women report that women’s ministry has specifically helped them build meaningful relationships, provided true encouragement and allowed them to explore elements of their faith that were particularly relevant to them,” McConnell said.

“Without the church offering these activities specifically for women, most say they wouldn’t have developed significant relationships and gotten to know women in other age groups. And many others report that their engagement in church activities, serving, sharing their faith and being intentional about their walk with Christ hinged on things their church’s women’s ministry provided.”

Community-building and discipleship activities

Close to 9 in 10 women say their church offered some type of activity specifically to develop community among new and existing women in their church, with the most popular events being some type of gathering around food like a potluck or lunch (63 percent) and holiday events (58 percent).

More than 3 in 4 women whose church provided these types of community activities (77 percent) say they participated in at least one last year, including 19 percent who say they attended more than five such events.

Almost 9 in 10 women say their church conducted some events in the past year to disciple women and encourage their walk with Christ. Churchgoers were most likely to say their church offered Bible studies for women (57 percent), times for women to pray together (46 percent) and opportunities to serve in the community (42 percent).

Almost 3 in 4 (73 percent) say they participated in at least one of these within the last year, including 15 percent who attended five or more of those events.

Churches seem to want to provide Bible studies that fit the schedules of women in different life circumstances. Among those who said their church offered Bible studies, 67 percent say they offered them outside of work hours, 58 percent say some were during the day on weekdays and 38 percent say the church did Bible studies specifically for moms with young children.

When asked for the reasons they chose not to participate in a women’s ministry event or gathering in the past year, female churchgoers pointed to several hindrances. A third (33 percent) said family obligations kept them away. Around 1 in 5 said they needed to work (23 percent), were out of town or sick (23 percent), had other activities planned (22 percent), some logistical reasons like the timing or cost (21 percent) or they had other priorities (19 percent).

Fewer said it was about the event itself—the topic was not for their life stage (9 percent), they had a lack of interest in the topic (7 percent), certain women were or were not going to be there (4 percent) or the plan for the event (4 percent). Around 1 in 8 (12 percent) don’t think they missed any women’s events in the past year.

Meeting spiritual and personal needs

Female churchgoers see ministry to women as a way to meet a host of spiritual and personal needs, and most say the church has been meeting those needs.

The top need women say they’ve been hoping women’s ministry activities in their church would help them with personally is growing closer to Jesus (71 percent). Most also want support when difficult things happen (60 percent), the ability to make friends (57 percent) and help when they feel discouraged (53 percent). A sizeable percentage also say they want their church’s women’s ministry to help them feel included (48 percent), heal from hurt (42 percent), deal with struggles in their faith (39 percent) and feel needed (31 percent).

Among the women who identified each of those areas, at least 7 in 10 say their church has offered activities that have helped them with that need, including 79 percent who said their church offered an activity that helped them grow closer to Jesus.

“A large majority of women are getting help from their church in the areas where they need it,” McConnell said. “But between 21 percent and 28 percent of women indicate specific needs that have not been addressed. This is more likely to occur in churches that do not have an organized ministry to women or activities specifically for women.”

Motivation for ministry

Those leading ministry to women in their churches are leading out of obedience to God rather than for personal gain, the survey indicated. More than 3 in 4 women (77 percent) say they are leading because they feel called. Another 55 percent say they chose to lead because there was a need, and 51 percent say they lead because it’s their gifting. The majority say each month they sense God confirming their call to lead (95 percent).

As they serve, most women’s ministry leaders say they feel God is guiding them in their leadership (94 percent). And they lead sacrificially, with more than 4 in 5 (83 percent) serving as volunteers or unpaid staff members. Far fewer leaders are paid part-time staff members (9 percent) or paid full-time staff members (8 percent).

Most women’s ministry leaders say discipling women and encouraging their walks with Christ is the top priority for their ministries (57 percent).

Events play an important role in reaching this goal. More than 4 in 5 (88 percent) women’s ministries offer Bible studies for women to disciple them and encourage their walks with Christ. Most also offer time for women to pray together (57 percent). Others provide opportunities to serve in the community (48 percent) or attend conferences as a group (40 percent).

By far, women’s ministry leaders say offering Bible studies for women is one of the most effective events for encouraging women on their faith journey with Christ (80 percent). Leaders also say offering times for prayer (23 percent), attending conferences (16 percent) and providing opportunities to serve the community (13 percent) are some of the most effective events for encouraging women in their faith.

As women’s ministry leaders invest in the women in their congregations, they see the impact of their ministries goes far beyond themselves. Most say their ministry does well or very well at encouraging the spiritual growth of women (89 percent), encouraging women to obey God (82 percent) and engaging existing women in their church to serve others (61 percent).

Close to half say their ministry works well or very well at mobilizing women to turn from sins (52 percent), connecting existing women in their church into their community (50 percent) and mobilizing women to invite people to church (49 percent).

As women’s ministry leaders reflect on the role their ministry plays in the local church, most say their church values their women’s ministry (93 percent).

Most (94 percent) also say their ministry regularly receives support from their pastor, with more than 3 in 4 (76 percent) strongly agreeing. And 71 percent say their church provides the women’s ministry with funds from the church budget. But few (5 percent) conduct women’s ministry planning together with the church staff.

“Very few women’s ministry leaders doubt they have support from their pastor or that their ministry is valued by their church. But some indicate there is room for improvement,” McConnell said.

“Moving in a unified direction with the church’s goals requires communication. With so few women’s ministry leaders on staff and few of them planning alongside staff members, there are no doubt missed opportunities for maximizing the value of women’s ministry within the church.”

Challenges identified

Women’s ministries in churches face many challenges. But leaders say the biggest challenges their ministries face are women not attending or participating (48 percent) and connecting with women in different age groups (45 percent).

Women’s ministry leaders also see a variety of areas they feel they need to develop as leaders, with their top leadership needs having to do with recruiting leaders (43 percent), vision and direction (40 percent) and teaching and training (33 percent).

And women’s ministry leaders are not alone in these challenges. According to the Greatest Needs of Pastors study from Lifeway Research, Protestant pastors say developing leaders and volunteers (77 percent), training current leaders and volunteers (68 percent) and establishing a compelling vision (45 percent) are some ministry difficulties they face that are top priorities for them.

 “Churches with no organized ministry to women have a significant opportunity to make a change and help women spiritually. Finding a leader to begin offering relational, Bible-focused, relevant activities is critical for these churches,” McConnell said.

“For churches who already have a women’s ministry, the greatest opportunity comes from women attending the first time, because participating in women’s ministry causes many women to be more interested in activities that help them spiritually.”

Lifeway Research conducted the online survey of American evangelical and Black Protestant female churchgoers March 13-17, 2023, using a national pre-recruited panel. Analysts used quotas and slight weights to balance age, region, ethnicity, education, religious service attendance and religious tradition to reflect the population more accurately.

The completed sample is 1,001 surveys, providing 95 percent confidence the sampling error from the panel does not exceed plus or minus 3.2 percent. This margin of error accounts for the effect of weighting. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

PHILADELPHIA (BP)—Bible users who worship God online are most likely to read the Bible at least weekly apart from church service, the American Bible Society said in the latest installment of its 2023 State of the Bible report.

Among online worshippers, 74 percent read the Bible at least weekly, whether they worship solely online or online and in person. Of in-person-only worshippers, 32 percent read the Bible at least weekly, the American Bible Society stated.

“This might seem surprising to those who see online church as a lesser experience, used by people who are less committed spiritually,” the society said in the report’s seventh chapter, focused on Bible use and technology. “We suspect that these numbers speak to the personal nature of online attendance.”

Online attendance, often done alone or with immediate family, “can be more about hearing about God and from God,” the Bible society speculated. “It’s personal, as Bible reading often is.”

The findings are among the results of an 18-minute survey conducted in January among a representative sample of adults 18 and older within the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Percentages are based on 2,761 responses.

The release delved into how many people read the Bible at least weekly outside of normal church services and certain descriptive characteristics concerning them.

Among the top findings:

• 25 percent of American adults use the Bible at least weekly, amounting to about 65 million people.
• More than half of evangelicals, 53 percent, report reading the Bible weekly, compared to 21 percent of Catholics who do so.
• Black Americans far surpass others in reading the Bible at least weekly, with 38 percent reporting so, compared to 23 percent among all other ethnic groups combined. Nearly one in five Blacks (19 percent) read the Bible daily, outpacing all other groups combined, which numbered 8 percent.

Curiosity about Scripture doesn’t necessarily drive Scripture reading, the Bible society found. About 39 million U.S. adults say they are extremely curious about Scripture, but they don’t read it at least weekly. More than half of Americans—52 percent—wish they read Scripture more, but only 14 percent increased their Bible reading in the past year.

Among the top impediments to reading Scripture more frequently were a lack of time (26 percent), a lack of excitement (15 percent), not knowing where to start (17 percent), and difficulty in relating to the language (15 percent).

Among other findings:

• The popularity of digital Scripture sources is about the same as in 2022. Just under 70 percent of Bible users read a printed Bible at least monthly, 50 percent read a digital Bible app at least monthly, and 48 percent read Scripture through internet searches at the same frequency.
• Elders continue to favor printed Bibles at 87 percent, while 46 percent of Boomers are most likely to watch a Bible program on video.
• Bible apps and podcasts are most popular among Millennials, 42 percent, and Gen X, 39 percent; with digital Bibles and online Bible reading plans also most popular among those generations.
• Gen Z is most likely to access Scripture through internet searches.

The State of the Bible annually looks at the Bible, faith and the church in America. The American Bible Society collaborated with the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center in designing the study conducted online and via telephone to NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel.

Previous chapters of the 2023 study revealed various aspects of how Scripture engagement impacts daily life. Future chapters will offer new insights on how the Bible affects philanthropic habits and summarize highlights from 2023 research.

WASHINGTON (RNS)—More Asian Americans identify as atheist, agnostic or nonreligious than before, according to a survey by Pew Research Center.

But 40 percent of those Pew surveyed, who included Americans of Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese backgrounds, said they feel close to a religion for reasons aside from religion, such as family or cultural ties.

Pew’s survey, which studied over 7,000 participants over the course of a year, found that Asian Americans are part of the ongoing trend of Americans who don’t follow any religion, often referred to as “nones.” Today, 32 percent of Asian Americans are religiously unaffiliated, compared with 26 percent in 2012.

Asian Americans as a whole are mostly Christian (34 percent), especially Korean (59 percent) or Filipino Americans (74 percent), who are evenly split between Protestantism and Catholicism (16 percent and 17 percent). Born-again or evangelical Protestants make up 10 percent of Asian Americans.

However, Asian Americans who identify as Christians have shown the sharpest declines in affiliation with religious institutions since 2012, dropping by 8 percentage points.

More than half (56 percent) of Chinese Americans and close to half (47 percent) of Japanese Americans said they are not affiliated with any religion, comprising the largest groups of religious nones. They are also the groups least likely to consider religion very important.

Buddhists and Hindus, both at 11 percent, were the next largest faith groups. Vietnamese Americans are the most likely of the Asian origin groups to identify as Buddhist (37 percent), and Indian Americans are far more likely than the other groups to be Hindu (48 percent).

The survey’s findings reflected a complex understanding of religiosity in many Asian American cultures, in which religious identity can mean more than just adhering to a set of beliefs. In particular, daily life in Asian countries can be infused with practices associated with Buddhism, Hinduism, Daoism, Shintoism and Confucianism, even among those who do not identify as religious.

One Vietnamese Buddhist told the researchers, “Confucianism and Daoism is part of my culture. However, for me, it’s a school of philosophy. I do not identify myself as being a Daoist or Confucian.”

While only 11 percent of Asian American adults say their religion is Buddhism, for example, 21 percent feel close to Buddhism for other reasons.

Religiously unaffiliated Indian Americans report this phenomenon at much higher rates than nones of other Asian origin groups, saying they feel close to Hinduism for reasons aside from religion.

Reported affinity toward more than one religion

Many Asian Americans also reported feeling an affinity toward more than just one religion, the survey found. Four in 10 Asian American adults expressed a cultural connection to one or more groups that they do not claim as a religious identity, but still feel close to.

One Hindu participant expressed a connection to Buddhism “because some of the practices of Buddhists, they are very much similar” to Hindu practices.

The survey found 18 percent of Asian Americans do not identify religiously as Christian, yet say they feel close to Christianity aside from religion, including, for example, the American celebration of Christmas.

“My whole life I was exposed to Christmas and all this stuff. Even though I don’t believe in it, we had to give gifts … so it was always part of our culture, even though we don’t believe in it,” said one non-Christian Indian participant who grew up in the United States.

On the whole, Asian Americans are slightly less likely than Americans as a whole to say religion is very important in their lives, the survey says.

Asian American Muslims (60 percent) and Christians (54 percent) are much more likely to feel that religion is very important in their lives than are Asian American Hindus (33 percent) and Buddhists (31 percent), and also are the likeliest to say they attend religious services or visit a temple, shrine or other religious space at least monthly.

Regular religious attendance is more common among Korean and Filipino Americans than among Vietnamese, Japanese or Chinese Americans. And as a whole, Asian Americans born in a country other than the United States are far more likely than those born here to say they attend religious services at least monthly (32 percent versus 21 percent).

Twenty-one percent of all Asian Americans surveyed said they attend services at least weekly.

Worship trends vary among traditions, but 36 percent of Asian Americans say they have an altar, shrine or religious symbol that they use for home worship. Of those who do, many identify as Buddhist or Hindu.

But worshipping at home is also fairly common among Catholic Filipino Americans, with 66 percent of them saying they have an altar at home.

As many Asian Americans expressed a dual-belonging with more than one religion, 30 percent of Asian Americans said all or most of their friends have the same religion they do. Seventy-seven percent of Asian Americans say they would be comfortable if a family member married outside of their faith.

\WASHINGTON (RNS)—A new report from Gallup finds religious people around the world report being more positive, have more social support, and are more involved in their communities than those who are not religious.

The study, based on 10 years of data, also finds the well-being of religious people varies from country to country and is often hard to measure. Even if researchers find that religion is good for you, people who are not religious may not care about its benefits or want anything to do with it.

“Gallup World Poll data from 2012-2022 find, on a number of well-being measures, that people who are religious have better well-being than people who are not,” according to the report, published last week.

Data about nine aspects of life

The study included data about nine aspects of people’s lives, from their positive interactions with others and their social life to their civic engagement and physical health. Each of the nine indexes included a score of 0 to 100, based on answers to a series of questions.

For the positive experience index, respondents were asked questions such as “Did you smile or laugh today?” and “Were you treated with respect?”

For civic engagement, they were asked questions about whether they gave to charity or helped a stranger.

The physical health index asked if they had health issues that kept them from doing things people their age usually do and whether they were in physical pain.

For community basics, they were asked about housing and infrastructure.

Religious people scored higher on five of Gallup’s indexes: social life (77.6 compared with 73.7 for nonreligious people), positive experience (69 to 65), community basics (59.7 to 55.6), optimism (49.4 to 48.4) and civic engagement (35.8 to 31).

They scored about the same as nonreligious people in two indexes: a “life evaluation” of whether they were thriving or suffering and their local economic confidence.

Religious people scored lower on two indexes: negative experience and physical health.

The differences between religious and nonreligious people were most prominent in highly religious countries.

Researchers noted that even small differences can have a significant impact on a global scale.

“Each one-point difference in index scores between religious and nonreligious people represents an effect for an estimated 40 million adults worldwide,” the report stated.

“For example, the four-point difference between religious and nonreligious people on the Positive Experience Index means that an estimated 160 million more adults worldwide have positive experiences than would be the case if those adults were not religious.”

Interest and involvement in religion declining

The report suggests religion and spirituality could be a possible asset in dealing with the mental health crisis in many countries. However, they noted, the number of people interested in or involved in religion is declining.

For the report, Gallup partnered with the Radiant Foundation, which promotes a positive view of religion and spirituality and is associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Jeff Jones, Gallup poll senior editor, said measuring the impact of religion and spirituality on wellness is complicated, especially as people become less religious and the way they practice spirituality evolves.

“With the changing nature of religious landscapes and spiritual practice, it can make quantitative measurement amid the changes challenging, as the traditional forms of spirituality—namely, attending formal religious services, are becoming less common and people are seeking other ways to fulfill their spiritual needs,” Jones said in an email.

The report, which also includes quotes from experts and a review of past research on the connection between wellness and religion, notes that even as researchers become more aware of the positive outcomes of religion, people are less interested in religion around the world.

While they have no polling data on the decline of religion, the report suggests several causes for that decline, including growing polarization that pits religious and nonreligious people against each other. Nonreligious people at times see religious people as a threat. Religious people, especially from larger faith groups, can wield their power in ways that others see as harmful.

“Religious groups and individuals—particularly from the dominant religious group in a society—who are hostile to other religious groups may promote a cultural context that is harmful to the well-being of those outside the group,” the report states.

“Resentment toward the dominant group may also tune people out to their messages, both those that are harmful (out‑group animosity) but also that are helpful (serving others).”

BRENTWOOD, Tenn.—As churches continue to navigate economic challenges in the United States, half of surveyed pastors say the economy is harming their churches as giving fails to keep up with inflation.

A Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant pastors found 50 percent say the current economy is negatively impacting their churches. Meanwhile, 40 percent say the economic circumstances aren’t having an effect. Fewer than 1 in 10—8 percent—say the current economy is a positive factor for their churches.

Last year was the first time since 2016 more than half of pastors felt the economy was impacting their churches negatively and the first time since 2012 fewer than 10 percent of pastors expressed belief the economy was positively impacting their churches.

Only twice in the study’s 15-year history—in 2018 and 2019—were pastors more likely to say the economy was having a positive impact than a negative one.

“The good news is the economy is not negatively impacting more churches than last year, despite persistent inflation and slower economic growth,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “The bad news is that most churches continue to feel pain and discomfort from current economic realities.”

Although pastors continue to report a negative economic impact, churches have maintained stable levels of giving near their planned budgets and comparable to last year’s giving. But in most churches, increases in giving have not kept up with inflation in 2023.

Around 7 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors say since the beginning of 2023, giving at their church is at or exceeding budget, with 46 percent saying giving has been about what was budgeted and 22 percent saying it’s higher. Three in 10 say giving is below their 2023 budget.

Tough time to set a budget

“This was not an easy year to set a budget, as many predicted a softening in the nation’s economic well-being,” McConnell said. “Whether churches lowered expectations or not, most are meeting or exceeding their budget.”

Compared to last year’s actual receipts, 7 in 10 pastors say giving at their churches is at or above 2022 levels, including 38 percent who say it’s the same as last year, and 33 percent saying it’s above. Fewer than 1 in 4 (23 percent) say offerings are below 2022.

When asked by what percentage their churches’ offerings have increased or decreased, more pastors say giving is the same as 2022 or above. More than 2 in 5 (44 percent) say it has remained the same. Twelve percent of pastors say giving has increased less than 10 percent. Thirteen percent say it has increased 10 percent to 24 percent. Four percent say it has increased by 25 percent or more since 2022.

Around 1 in 5 report a decrease in giving, including 4 percent who say offerings are down by  less than 10 percent. Twelve percent say they are down 10 percent to 24 percent. Four percent say they have declined by 25 percent or more.

When the income experiences of churches are combined, the average church saw an increase of 0.79 percent in offerings from 2022 to 2023.

“Finances are not just difficult for those churches in which giving is down,” McConnell said. “Most churches are not seeing growth in offerings that keep pace with inflation (currently 3.7 percent annually according to the Consumer Price Index). So, many churches are still cutting spending and giving raises that are smaller than their pastors and staff need.”

Size matters

Although the economy’s impact on churches has remained stable compared to last year, small churches are still the most likely to face financial struggles. Small churches were some of the first to recover pre-pandemic levels of attendance after COVID-19, but many have struggled to face the economic challenges in the years since. Large churches are less likely to be struggling in the current economy.

Pastors at the largest churches—those with 250 or more in attendance—are the least likely to say the economy has somewhat or very negatively impacted their churches this year (34 percent). They are also the most likely to report that giving levels are above those in 2022 (57 percent).

Meanwhile, pastors of churches with attendance less than 100 are among the most likely to say offerings have been lower than budgeted this year and below 2022’s offerings.

“In a smaller church, if economic factors hurt even a couple of families, chances are the church feels it,” McConnell said. “There is no looking around expecting someone else to step up to cover it. It just hurts.”

The phone survey of 1,004 Protestant pastors was conducted Aug. 29 to Sept. 20. The calling list was a stratified random sample, drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister or priest at the church. Analysts weighted responses by region and church size to reflect the population more accurately. The completed sample is 1,004 surveys, providing 95 percent confidence the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.2 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.