Men Coming Back to Church? Updated Trends by Age, Race & Gender Part 2

October 9, 2025
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Race & Tradition: Who’s Showing Up (and How)?

Pew’s national lens adds helpful demographic texture:

  • By race/ethnicity: Black Americans report higher monthly participation (in person and/or online) than White, Hispanic, or Asian Americans.
  • By tradition: Latter-day Saints (80%) and evangelical Protestants (71%) have the highest share participating monthly (in person/online), with historically Black Protestant churches also high (66%).
  • By age (again): Older adults participate monthly at higher rates overall (in person/online), even as weekly rhythms are recovering fastest among younger cohorts inside churches.

Inside the Congregations: Post-Pandemic Trajectory

  • Half of Protestant churches reported attendance growth by late 2024, and signs of stabilization or rebound continued into 2025.
  • The Hartford Institute (EPIC study) finds many congregations have rebounded from the pandemic nadir while still reshaping programs and volunteer pipelines—context for how and why certain demographics (including men) are reconnecting.

Why Are Men Returning?

There isn’t one silver bullet, but recent research and reporting point to a few plausible factors:

  1. Post-pandemic reevaluation: Many men reassessed meaning, belonging, and habit-formation after 2020. (Barna notes rising “commitment to Jesus” indicators alongside attendance recovery.)
  2. Younger-male engagement: Gen Z/Millennial men show the steepest attendance gains inside churches, suggesting targeted discipleship, small groups, and service opportunities are sticking.
  3. Volunteerism rebound: Weekly church volunteering surpassed pre-COVID levels in 2024, with Gen Z and Millennials leading—another on-ramp for men’s consistent presence.

So…Are Men Coming Back to Church?

Yes—especially when you look at weekly, in-person attendance and younger cohorts. Barna’s multi-year tracking shows men now slightly exceed women weekly, with the trend beginning in 2022 and continuing through 2024/early-2025. Broader national polling (Pew) still shows women slightly ahead on monthly participation (in-person/online combined). Read together, the evidence supports a real male resurgence that’s strongest among Gen Z and Millennials, while long-term participation patterns remain mixed by age and tradition.

Practical Takeaways for Churches

  • Double down on young-adult men. Short, high-commitment small groups (6–8 weeks), service teams, and mentoring pairings can convert curiosity into rhythm. (This aligns with the volunteerism surge among younger adults.)
  • Mind the women’s engagement gap. Barna warns that women—historically more engaged—are now wavering; invest in women’s formation, schedule flexibility, and childcare supports.
  • Track by frequency and format. Distinguish weekly vs. monthly and in-person vs. hybrid; many “missing” people are still participating online at some cadence.
  • Lean into tradition-specific strengths. Evangelical and historically Black Protestant churches show strong participation baselines; learn and share what’s working across networks.

Methods & Definitions (Why Numbers Don’t Always Match)

  • Barna typically reports weekly, in-person attendance among U.S. adults with a focus on Christians/churchgoers; their 2022–2025 trendlines are the source of the men > women weekly finding. Religion Unplugged+1
  • Pew reports monthly participation (and combined in-person + online) across all U.S. adults and religious traditions, which tends to favor women and older adults in the aggregate. Pew Research Center
  • Hartford/EPIC and Lifeway gather data from congregations and pastors, capturing on-the-ground rebound and growth dynamics that help explain who’s coming back and how often. Lifeway Research+1

Key Sources (recent)

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