Why Some People, Especially Younger Generations, Drop Out of Church

So many young people have dropped out of church in the last few years that it can be discouraging for us older folks.  And it’s certainly discouraging to the younger folks who aren’t seeing anyone their age at church.  Some people might conclude that the younger generations (the millennial and Gen Z) are less spiritual. 

But that’s a wrong assumption.  Research shows that the younger generations pray more than the older generations.  Even a significant percentage of New Atheists confirm that they pray. And these generations are less motivated by material success than the Yuppies generation.  They are far more likely to seek a career with a non-profit and do humanitarian work.  In addition, they have strong moral beliefs, especially about justice and human dignity and ethical business practices.  

But many of them do have a problem with the institution of church.  The fall of TV evangelists in the 70’s and 80’s, then the revelation of hypocrisy among high-profile evangelical leaders, left many Christians feeling deceived and skeptical even a generation ago.  The Catholic pedophile priest scandal repelled many people, and now the evangelical church is facing the same scandal.  Megachurches attracted large crowds, but didn’t always develop community among members, which is something younger people value.  The contempt, anger, and hatred of conservative “Christian” talk radio caused cognitive dissonance for many of the kids raised in the 90’s and 2000’s.  The last straw for many of the younger generation was the entanglement of churches with partisan politics in the last two elections.  

So who can blame them?  If I’d been abused by a priest or molested by a preacher, I would have a hard time going to church.  Think how it could trigger trauma for them.  It’s amazing that any young adults still have faith despite being sexually abused by someone in a position of spiritual authority over them.  

And Rush Limbaugh himself is responsible for many of these kids leaving.  I’ve read so many essays by kids raised in Christian homes where this malevolent, disrespectful talk radio was a staple, and those kids either left the faith or adopted a very different kind of Christian church from their parents.

And if my church were endorsing a political candidate or backing a particular party, I would leave, too.  Churches can’t avoid political ideas, because those involve moral issues and the welfare of citizens, which Christians are highly invested in.  But a church is overstepping if it declares that one party or candidate is the only one representing a Christian worldview.  Christianity is far too complex to be represented by a political party.  

It doesn’t help to criticize the young adults who are having a struggle with their faith or church.  We’ve got to figure out ways to walk beside them in their search.  But most of all, we’ve got to LISTEN to their criticisms and respect their own understanding of what God is telling them.  Often, they are not rejecting Christianity.  They are only rejecting a misrepresentation of Christianity.  They see clearly what Jesus is saying and refuse to accept a spurious version.  We can applaud them in that.