Author: Scott Chafee
Scott serves on staff at King’s Grant Baptist Church in Virginia Beach.
Barna on Trends of Men and Women
New Research on Church Attendance: Decline of Women or the Rise of Men?
For decades, women have outnumbered men in church pews and have often led the way in spiritual participation. But the current data, released as part of Barna’s ongoing State of the Church initiative with Gloo, shows that women—across all generations—are now attending church less often than men. This surprising shift marks more than a numerical change; it signals a cultural and spiritual turning point within America.
AT A GLANCE:
- Major Gender Shift: Men are significantly outpacing women in church attendance since the pandemic, reversing a long-standing trend in Barna’s decades of tracking. The 2025 gender gap is the largest recorded so far (43% for men vs. 36% among women).
- Married Dads Show Up; Moms Step Back: Among parents of kids under 18, married dads have the highest show-up rate at church compared to all other parents. Only 1 in 4 single moms (24%) attend church weekly—significantly trailing other married moms and dads.
- Why It Matters: These shifts reveal new patterns of participation and disengagement among key groups that may reshape the fabric of church life in the years to come.
- Leadership Consideration: How will churches adapt to support the growing faith engagement of young men—and the growing disengagement of women, particularly single mothers? How can leaders assess what people are experiencing inside the church that shapes whether they return?
Remembering October 7, 2023
MFUGE Impact
On July 6, in Patrick’s absence, Scott teaches about how the impact of MFuge is relevant to all believers.
Our students are leaving in the morning to make a difference in Philadelphia, PA, so let’s take this opportunity to see how that impact can happen right here, among our community of faith in Virginia Beach.
Domesticated Jesus
ON MARCH 16: Domesticated Jesus, with Scott Chafee (the opening clip was a scene from the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe).
Is Jesus really the Lion of Judah? Or do we prefer a tame Lion, perhaps de-clawed without fangs. It seems that in the western church we have domesticated this young Jewish rabbi who turned the world upside down with his teaching. Many in the church seem to invite Jesus into their already busy lives so that Jesus can follow US, rather than we following HIM. On Sunday, let’s look at the ways we tend to TAME Jesus into something we like better than the Jesus who calls us to radical obedience and discipleship.
