For the last two decades, the story of American Christianity has sounded like a slow funeral dirge. Pew headlines about shrinking church attendance. Barna reports warning of exvangelicals and deconstruction. Entire denominations losing steam while “nones” — people with no religious affiliation — soared.
But in 2025, the data is throwing a curveball. According to new reports from Pew Research Center and Barna Group, the long-predicted freefall of faith in America may be slowing — or even starting to rebound in surprising ways. No, we’re not seeing a revival like the 1970s. But we are seeing something that could be even more radical in 2025: stability.
Here are three stats that are flipping the script.
1. The decline has slowed — and may be leveling off
Back in 2007, 78% of U.S. adults said they were Christian. That dropped to 71% in 2014, and by 2020, it had hit 64%. But now? The 2024 Pew Religious Landscape Study shows 62% of Americans still identify as Christian — a number that’s barely moved in the last five years.
“We’re seeing what looks like a pause in the decline,” said Gregory Smith, Pew’s associate director of religion research. “It’s too early to say it’s reversed, but the slope isn’t as steep as it once was.”
Translation: The floor hasn’t dropped out. For all the hand-wringing about church decline, Christianity in America might be finding a new baseline — not dominant, but not dead either.
That’s not to say all is well. Church attendance still lags behind identity, especially post-COVID. But the fact that Christian affiliation isn’t plummeting anymore might be the most surprising news of all.
2. Gen Z men are reengaging with Jesus
This one raised eyebrows. According to Barna’s most recent “State of the Church” report, 66% of U.S. adults say they’ve made a personal commitment to Jesus that remains important to them — up from 54% in 2021. And the biggest jump? Gen Z men.
From 2019 to 2025, the number of Gen Z men who say they’ve made a lasting commitment to Jesus jumped 15 percentage points, while Millennial men jumped 19 points. That’s not just statistically significant — it’s a cultural curveball.
David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, attributes the shift to a post-pandemic search for meaning.
“This generation has been shaped by uncertainty,” he told RELEVANT. “They’re asking deep questions about purpose, identity, community. And some are finding those answers in faith.”
That’s a counter-narrative worth paying attention to — especially as many assumed Gen Z would continue the disaffiliation trend of millennials. Instead, some of them are turning to Jesus with a new kind of sincerity, unburdened by institutional baggage.
3. The rise of the “nones” may have peaked
For years, the “nones” seemed unstoppable — growing from 8% in 2000 to 20% in 2017. But today? That number has barely budged. A new Gallup poll shows that 22% of Americans still identify as religiously unaffiliated, holding steady for the last half-decade.
Sociologist Ryan Burge, author of The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going, says this plateau might signal a generational shift.
“Young people aren’t necessarily rushing back to organized religion,” he said. “But the disaffiliation trend has lost momentum. People may be rethinking what it means to be ‘spiritual but not religious.’”
And it’s not just apathy. Some “nones” are now “somes” — people who dabble in church, prayer or faith-based community without adopting a label. The lines are blurring, and the rigid categories of believer vs. unbeliever are starting to feel outdated.
So what does it all mean?
The spiritual story of America in 2025 is no longer a simple headline about decline. It’s a messy, complicated middle. Yes, traditional church structures are still struggling. Yes, many people have walked away. But beneath the surface, there’s movement — curiosity, reengagement, even growth in unexpected places.
“This is not a return to Christendom,” said Kinnaman. “It’s something new. A generation trying to rebuild faith from the ground up.”
Maybe the age of big revival tents is over. But something quieter — and just as powerful — might be taking root.
