In 1966, there were more than 3.4 million Episcopalians. By 2019, that number dropped to 1.7 million, even though the population of the United States nearly doubled from 1960 (when the population was 180 million) to 2020 (when the population was about 330 million).

The Hartford Institute for Religion Research study found that most congregations experienced some conflict over pandemic restrictions, with about one-quarter seeing

the future of religion in America belongs to the Nones and the

Stroop, coeditor of Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church, is one of the most vocal activists in what’s known as the exvangelical movement, people who grew up in the white evangelical subculture and left it behind.

Secularists may also show up when disaster strikes because they are about the health of their community. Still, they are not organized in the same way as a religion is and are not able to mobilize people in the way that religious groups can. We’ve mentioned this before, but it is worth repeating. Religious communities, said Campbell, are unique in

“What is playing out is an institutional trust story—not an individual belief story,” he said.

were Black, with Americans from other ethnic backgrounds making up the remaining 1 percent (about 1.6 million people), according to data from the Census Bureau.4

To bolster his point, Packard points to the disconnect between belief in God and participation in religious institutions. Even among younger Americans, belief in God and interest in spirituality remain high. Faith is not the problem. The number of younger Americans who pray and believe in God remains steady while participation in organized religion

Older Americans are more likely to be religious and, if they are religious, to be white Christians. Younger Americans are less religious and, if they are religious, more likely to be Christians of color than white Christians.