A new study shows Millennials are more plugged into their church communities than any other generation, breaking a stereotype that millennials are a faithless generation.
According to a new study of Evangelicals completed by Dunham+Company and conducted by WPA Intelligence, Millennials are more likely than any other generation to be engaged in their faith.
Rick Dunham, Founder and CEO of Dunham+Company, which helps charitable organizations worldwide with their business strategies, pointed out that there is a false misconception that millennials are disengaged and less active in their faith, but that is far from the truth.
“Millennials are often believed to be disengaged in their faith, but this study shows that those Millennials who identify as Evangelicals are more engaged in their faith than other generations,” said Dunham.
“This mirrors our study from 2017 which showed that Millennials generally are as likely to engage in religious attendance compared to other generations, with this current study showing a much higher engagement among those who identify as Evangelicals.”
The study surveyed 1,000 evangelicals across America, with only 53 percent saying that they attend a church service once a week.
The study found that 61 percent of Millennials attend a church service at least once a week, while only 54% of Boomers/Matures, and 44 percent of Gen Xers do.
The study also detailed that evangelicals in general, give incredibly more to charitable organizations each year when compared to the general population.
It found that 71 percent of evangelicals said they give to charity annually, while only 55 percent of the general population does.
While Millennials might frequent church the most, Boomers/Matures still give the most in charity at 78 percent. The study found that 68 percent of Millennials give annually, while 63 percent of Gen Xers do.
When asked if they will be contributing more to charities in the future, 1 in 5 respondents said yes, with 34 percent of Millennials saying they would. Only 21 percent of Gen Xers and 12 percent of Boomers/Matures said they would be increasing their next years contributions to charities.
The study also noted the growing trend of giving to churches online instead of in-person.
62 percent of Millennials said they preferred to give online, while 50 percent of Gen Xers and only 25 percent of Boomers/Matures did.
“Once again, the data demonstrates how vital it is for churches to not only facilitate online giving, but to ensure congregants know how to give online,” Dunham said. “If the plurality of congregants are saying they prefer to give online, churches need to promote and encourage that every week.”
“From church attendance, to giving, and an intent to give more in the coming year, Evangelical Millennials demonstrate they are highly engaged in their faith,” said Dunham.
“It’s also important to note that while a plurality of Evangelicals now prefer to give online, nearly 2 out of 3 Millennials prefer that way of giving, which has significant implications for how churches facilitate giving.”