A brand new research reveals that the overwhelming majority of self-identified evangelicals got here to religion as kids, and many don’t bear in mind the precise second they determined to embrace evangelical Christianity.
The report, titled “The Religious Journey: How Evangelicals Come to Religion,” examines the religion journeys and practices of evangelicals in the US. The analysis, carried out by Grey Matter Analysis and Infinity Ideas and revealed final Tuesday, was primarily based on responses acquired from 1,010 evangelical Protestants gathered in early 2023.
The survey confirmed that 72% of the respondents got here to religion earlier than reaching the age of 18, whereas the remaining 28% began professing the evangelical religion solely in maturity. Many respondents (26%) first grew to become evangelical between the ages of 5 and 9, adopted by 24% who got here to the religion between the ages of 10 and 12, whereas 17% first subscribed to the evangelical religion between the ages of 13 and 17 and 5 % first recognized as evangelical earlier than age 5.
Fifteen % of respondents first adopted an evangelical worldview between the ages of 18 and 29, whereas 6% cited the 30-39 age vary as once they first developed evangelical beliefs. The remaining 6% got here to religion on the age of 40 and over.
When requested to establish the “single largest affect” that precipitated them to develop into evangelicals, 28% named their mother and father, adopted by 16% who pointed to their church, and 11% who stated “different relations.”
Much less frequent elements cited because the “largest affect” by respondents on their resolution to develop into evangelical embody studying the Bible for themselves (10%), difficulties in life (9%), their pastor (7%), spouses or companions (4%), different occasions (4%), mates (4%), different church leaders (3%), direct expertise with God (2%), books (1%), and radio or tv (1%).
The church was cited because the “important affect” that led them to develop into evangelical by 44% of respondents. Different regularly cited “important influences” embody studying the Bible for oneself (36%), pastors (32%), mother and father (23%), different relations (21%), mates (18%), different church leaders (16%) ) ), life difficulties (14%), different occasions (10%), spouses or companions (10%), books (8%), radio or tv (4%), direct expertise with God (1%) and one thing on-line (1%).
Most respondents (57%) characterised their perception as “No. 1 in my life,” whereas 40% referred to as it “essential” of their lives and a pair of% noticed it as even much less essential. The analysis in contrast the religion practices of respondents who ranked their religion as crucial facet of their lives with these evangelicals who rated it as both essential or much less essential.
Ninety-one % of respondents who place their religion on the middle of their lives pray every day, in comparison with 76% of those that charge their religion as much less essential. A major majority (71%) of respondents who say religion is no 1 of their lives research the Bible each week, whereas lower than half of those that charge their religion as much less essential (46%) say the identical.
Amongst respondents who take into account their religion to be crucial facet of their lives, 70% attend church weekly, 49% learn the Bible every day, and 39% research their religion in small teams weekly. However, solely 54% of individuals within the second class go to church each week, solely 24% learn the Bible every day, and 26% take part in faith-related small teams weekly.
As well as, the survey requested respondents to specify how they first determined to return to Christ. Many respondents (46%) stated they remembered a selected second of their life once they determined to belief Christ.
Thirty-seven % recalled being raised as Christians and will establish the age at which they first embraced the Christian religion for themselves, however didn’t point out a selected level at which they determined to take action. The remaining 16% described their conversion expertise as gradual, and not using a particular resolution.
Amongst those that got here to Christ as adults, 57% of respondents remembered a selected resolution level, whereas 26% skilled a gradual strategy of accepting their religion and 17% have been raised as Christians however “returned to their religion or re-accepted it and not using a particular level resolution.”
Many evangelicals surveyed who got here to religion in childhood (45%) have been raised as Christians and didn’t bear in mind a selected level once they made the choice, adopted by 42% who remembered a selected resolution level and 13% who referred to as it a gradual course of .
In response to the report, Infinity Ideas CEO Mark Dreistadt defined that “our analysis revealed that the journey to Christ is various, individualized and sometimes influenced by a lot of elements.
He added: “A fuller understanding of those elements can assist attain others who haven’t but accomplished this journey of religion.
Dreistadt in contrast the survey's findings to the tendency of evangelists and lecturers to “typically speak about salvation in a means that gives the look that each true believer will need to have had a turning level in his life.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Put up. He might be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
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