Why Are Christian Churches Losing Men?

[Many Sages One Truth]

This has been a popular concern for the last few years, and usually the answer I hear is because of the feminization of the church. After reading some articles on what people deem as feminization, I reject this reason. I think it's possibly due to the rise of evangelical atheism or verbal attacks on Christianity - saying things like it's a fairy tale belief for the easily deluded. I suggest this offends men's sense of worth more than women's and may drive them away.

But I really have no idea. Thoughts?

Well I'm a male Christian if that means anything. On a serious note, I think the church is losing both men and women, because youth don't find Christianity very appealing, because so many in the church are determined to hang on to the old hard, rigid, conservative Christianity rather then embracing new ideas and the concept of Christianity as a living, growing faith. Like Bishop Spong said, Christianity must change or die, and already his words are being shown true.

 

[Songbird]

It seems I was wrong. A recent Barna report, compiled from 20 years of surveys, contradicts other articles I read (like Touchstone Archives: The Truth About Men & Church).

The Barna Group - 20 Years of Surveys Show Key Differences in the Faith of America :

"No population group among the sixty segments examined has gone through more spiritual changes in the past two decades than women. Of the 14 religious factors studied, women have experienced statistically significant changes related to 10 of them. Of those transitions, eight represent negative movement – that is, either less engagement in common religious behaviors or a shift in belief away from biblical teachings."

 

[Me Myself]

Because they got tired of geting up every morning looking at their nipples in the mirror and asking "why?!"

more info here:

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/evolution-vs-creationism/115064-why-do-men-have-nipples.html

 

[Songbird]

Because they got tired of geting up every morning looking at their nipples in the mirror and asking "why?!"

more info here:

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/evolution-vs-creationism/115064-why-do-men-have-nipples.html

Ah, the nipple discussion.

 

[Sunstone]

It seems I was wrong. A recent Barna report, compiled from 20 years of surveys, contradicts other articles I read (like Touchstone Archives: The Truth About Men & Church).

The Barna Group - 20 Years of Surveys Show Key Differences in the Faith of America :

"No population group among the sixty segments examined has gone through more spiritual changes in the past two decades than women. Of the 14 religious factors studied, women have experienced statistically significant changes related to 10 of them. Of those transitions, eight represent negative movement – that is, either less engagement in common religious behaviors or a shift in belief away from biblical teachings."

That is absolutely fascinating! Women are the rank and file of most church volunteers. If they are changing, it's a game changer.

 

[Songbird]

That is absolutely fascinating! Women are the rank and file of most church volunteers. If they are changing, it's a game changer.

I was pretty surprised to read that after constantly hearing that men are the ones leaving.

 

[Shermana]

Well I'm a male Christian if that means anything. On a serious note, I think the church is losing both men and women, because youth don't find Christianity very appealing, because so many in the church are determined to hang on to the old hard, rigid, conservative Christianity rather then embracing new ideas and the concept of Christianity as a living, growing faith. Like Bishop Spong said, Christianity must change or die, and already his words are being shown true.

Personally I think most of them are starting to read Books and sites like Ehrman and realizing what a joke the "official" story their Churches are telling is. It seems that instead of an uptick towards Atheism, they simply pursue other religions, so the Spirituality isn't necessarily leaving as much as the trust in the Church-Establishment's (heathen and soul-scarring) interpretations of the Jewish scriptures.

Legitimate Bible Scholarship may in fact be driving nails into the coffin of the "Western Church".

 

[Sunstone]

I was pretty surprised to read that after constantly hearing that men are the ones leaving.

Well, of course they focus on the men. Men are more important. Everyone knows that.

Seriously, it's too early to tell, of course, but women leaving the churches could be a game changer. Women -- from everything I've ever heard -- are the backbone of the churches. But I'm no expert.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

It seems I was wrong. A recent Barna report, compiled from 20 years of surveys, contradicts other articles I read (like Touchstone Archives: The Truth About Men & Church).

The Barna Group - 20 Years of Surveys Show Key Differences in the Faith of America :

"No population group among the sixty segments examined has gone through more spiritual changes in the past two decades than women. Of the 14 religious factors studied, women have experienced statistically significant changes related to 10 of them. Of those transitions, eight represent negative movement – that is, either less engagement in common religious behaviors or a shift in belief away from biblical teachings."

Here are the parts I found most interesting:

The only religious behavior tracked among women that stayed stable was the percentage who attended a church of 600 or more people, which has remained at 16%.

The percentage of women whose beliefs qualify them to be classified as born again Christians has risen significantly in the past 20 years. In 1991, 38% of woman said they had made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that remained important in their life, and also said they believed they would go to Heaven after they died solely because they confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Since then, the figure has increased slightly to 44%.

So... the numbers of women are going down overall, but they're steady at large churches and actually increasing in the born-again movement. This says to me that it's not just a matter of general decline; it's a polarization... it's not one trend; it's two: the religiously moderate women are either becoming "unchurched" or much more devout. While the "non-religious" end of the spectrum is growing faster than the "ultra-religious" end, both are growing... apparently at the expense of the middle.

Hmm.

 

[Sunstone]

Here are the parts I found most interesting:




So... the numbers of women are going down overall, but they're steady at large churches and actually increasing in the born-again movement. This says to me that it's not just a matter of general decline; it's a polarization... it's not one trend; it's two: the religiously moderate women are either becoming "unchurched" or much more devout. While the "non-religious" end of the spectrum is growing faster than the "ultra-religious" end, both are growing... apparently at the expense of the middle.

Hmm.

This strikes me as a really good analysis, Penguin. And if it's accurate, it might reflect the wider polarization of our entire society -- which appears to be going on these days.

 

[Pegg]

This has been a popular concern for the last few years, and usually the answer I hear is because of the feminization of the church. After reading some articles on what people deem as feminization, I reject this reason. I think it's possibly due to the rise of evangelical atheism or verbal attacks on Christianity - saying things like it's a fairy tale belief for the easily deluded. I suggest this offends men's sense of worth more than women's and may drive them away.

But I really have no idea. Thoughts?

i agree, i dont think it has anything to do with a feminization of the church.

I think there are a number of factors which contribute to men leaving the churches.
In our own organization there are less men then women. Personally i think it is easier for a woman to submit to the rule of Christ because she is more naturally submissive. It is perhaps more of a struggle for some men to submit to a higher authority because they have an inborn sense of being an authority figure themselves... so there is the submission aspect.

There could also be the influence of the university education where it is drummed into you that you must question everything and accept nothing without hard physical evidence. I think a lot of people (women included) fall into this trap when it comes to the bible and God and faith. Because some aspects of the bible cannot be proven physcially, then there is the struggle to believe.

It could also be the influence of the world which really pushes pleasures & material things as the way to find happiness and contentment. The world has the idea that money is the key to happiness and so many people go after it...by going after it they neglect their spiritual need and loose faith.

But then there is also the fact that people (men and women) are abandoning churches because they are sick of the bad stuff that goes on.

 

[Songbird]

Here are the parts I found most interesting:

So... the numbers of women are going down overall, but they're steady at large churches and actually increasing in the born-again movement. This says to me that it's not just a matter of general decline; it's a polarization... it's not one trend; it's two: the religiously moderate women are either becoming "unchurched" or much more devout. While the "non-religious" end of the spectrum is growing faster than the "ultra-religious" end, both are growing... apparently at the expense of the middle.

Hmm.

That is really interesting....

 

[idav]

This strikes me as a really good analysis, Penguin. And if it's accurate, it might reflect the wider polarization of our entire society -- which appears to be going on these days.

It is true to some extent but putting it simply when people are jumping ship they are either going to a different church or dumping church all together. As far as which new church they jumping to depends largely on popularity and demographics so whether people are jumping to Catholicism, evangelical or non-denominational depends on location. The stats I have seen indicate that generally people are becoming less conservative whether or not they stay in church and just cause Catholicism rises, for example, isn't an indication of increased conservatism.

 

[sojourner]

Why Are Christian Churches Losing Men?

10) They can't watch sports during church
9) Lifting up one's shirt and scratching one's belly is frowned upon during worship
8) No cigars allowed
7) Or beer
6) Belching is not an acceptable form of communal prayer
5) The women are hot, but they cover it up
4) Extreme lack of drug references
3) No car chases, explosions, or graphic depictions of limbs hacked off
2) Arnold Schwartzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Steven Segall and Bruce Lee are not clergy

and:

1) Solid Gold Dancers do not appear during breaks between hymns

 

[futurezambian]

I believe the reason that Christian churches are losing men is not something that just started, but rather a slow trend that was started many years ago. As the world and media has slowly added to the trend that the Bible is nothing more than an interesting book, religion has become something less than a way of life. Religion has become a "good samaritan" act that makes people feel good, but has no real meaning. the problem with this is the churches are only accentuating the problem by turning church services into nothing more than a social gathering with a Bible message. We need to teach a personal relationship with Christ rather than participation in church. When the relationship with Christ is there the numbers in church will increase. Just my thoughts.

 

[Songbird]

I'd like to reiterate I recently found a study that proves my OP wrong. Though Barna's statistics have been disputed, here's the link which says it's not men who are specifically leaving at a higher rate; it's women. And as Penguin pointed out, attendance has shifted, with increases in both non-church-goers and the ultra-religious.

The Barna Group - 20 Years of Surveys Show Key Differences in the Faith of America

 

[idav]

I'd like to reiterate I recently found a study that proves my OP wrong. Though Barna's statistics have been disputed, here's the link which says it's not men who are specifically leaving at a higher rate; it's women. And as Penguin pointed out, attendance has shifted, with increases in both non-church-goers and the ultra-religious.

The Barna Group - 20 Years of Surveys Show Key Differences in the Faith of America

It is hard to say that the ultra-religious have increased when the amount of people who believe the bible is totally accurate is decreasing more (from your link down 10%). The general trend for bible believers is taking it less and less literal which includes percentages within specific religions and Catholics are about at the top for followers who generally take the bible as fallible.

I have no complaints about these trends but I will tell you one thing. If women stop going to church the men are soon to follow.

 

[jtartar]

This has been a popular concern for the last few years, and usually the answer I hear is because of the feminization of the church. After reading some articles on what people deem as feminization, I reject this reason. I think it's possibly due to the rise of evangelical atheism or verbal attacks on Christianity - saying things like it's a fairy tale belief for the easily deluded. I suggest this offends men's sense of worth more than women's and may drive them away.

But I really have no idea. Thoughts?

Songbird,
It could be that MACHO men think that religion is for women. Many men do not want anyone telling them what to do, including God, they want to do what they want to do, when they want to do it.
Another thing is that the world is so fast paced and it is geting more difficult to ear a living, that many feel they just do not have the time, at least they do not want to take the time away from their entertainment, orl leisure time.
Mny men feel that no one really knows the Bible well enough to prove anything, or that a person versed in the Scriptures can PROVE ANYTHING, to a novice. Many religious leaders are questioning the scriptures, saying some a myths, or are not actually things that happened, but are meant to help each generation understand what the Bible means.
As time goes on, each generation seems to teach their children less and less about the Holy Scriptures, so people get farther from God and do not really see God as a real person.
To me though, I believe the real problem is the religious leaders of today. They are not telling their laity the truth, because the laity does not want to hear the truth, 2Tim 4:2-4. The preachers know that if they teach an unwatered down truth from the scriptures, the people will get another teacher to replace them, someone to tell them things that make them feel good.
The Bible says that the word of God is ALIVE and POWERFUL, Heb 4:12. Since people are not gettng the truth of God's word, there is NO POWER in the teachings, so this world is becoming AMORAL, in every way. The Bible shows that the scriptures help a sincere person to put on a new personality, one pleasing to God and Christ Jesus, Eph 4:21-24. Since people are not getting the truth, how can they even know what the new personality should be?
A very telling scripture was written by John, at John 16:2,3. Jesus was telling his disciples that a time would come when people got so far from God's word that they would actually kill his disciples, thinking they were doing a service to God. How could that happen??? Because the people are not getting the truth of God's word from the manistream of religion, John 4:23,24, Matt 7:15,16, 2Pet 2:1-3.
The United States has become the most amoral nation on earth, while claiming to be a Christian nation, more wars, more abortions, more crime of every kind, including murders. Claiming to be Christian while doing the opposite of what Christianity and the Bible teaches, is causing people of the other nations to Blaspheme the NAME of God, Rom 2:23,24. God knows that the world is getting worse every day, so there is no hope of a reversal of direction, so God has prophesied that He is going to CRUSH and put an end to all the nations, not convert them, Dan 2:44, Rev 19:11-21, 2Pet 2:4-9. Eph 4:4-6, Luke 13:23,24, Matt 7:21-23.

 

[Kathryn]

I'm going to stir the pot.

I think as men have lost (or abdicated) their position as "head of the family," their attendance at church has also dropped.

As a patriarchal system declines, I think church attendance also declines. In societies which are more male dominated, I think you will see higher male attendance of religious services and events.

I think Christianity HAS been feminized. Not sure which came first - the feminization or the departure of the men. I mean, it makes sense that if fewer men are attending church, then the church will become more influenced by women. But...was it the other way around? I honestly have no idea.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

It almost sounds like you're saying that increased gender equality is bad for religion.

Edit: there was a study that came out ago that predicted the "extinction" of religion is a number of countries: Study Finds Religion May Be Going

One of the assumptions they used for their model is that social benefit has a significant effect on religious observance: the more a person gets from the fact they go to church, the more likely they are to go. In their model, there ended up being a tipping point: when a society got to the point where religious observance stopped giving people benefit in terms of things like social status or material advantage, religious adherence dropped dramatically. This had a feedback effect, since the fewer people in a religion, the less benefit the members get from belonging to it, which causes more people to leave, and so on.