Parshall Partners

Christian Nation or a Nation of Christians?

         The debate continues as to whether or not America is a Christian nation.  But the numbers of people who call themselves Christians in America remains steady.

         The Pew Research Center has done a ‘religious landscape study’ looking at whether or not religion remains an integral part of our culture.  The study found that the share of U. S. adults who identify with Christianity has remained stable for the last five years, moving between 60% and 64%. 

         The report noted, “The percentages of Americans who say they pray every day, that religion is very important in their lives, and that they regularly attend religious services also have held fairly steady since 2020.” This steady rate is significant because it follows a prolong period of religious decline in the areas of religious belonging, behaving and believing.

         Pew looked at young adults and according to the research group, there is no religious revival taking place, noting that young adults are less religious than older ones and less religious than young people were a decade ago. And, they say, there is no indication that young men are converting to Christianity in big numbers.  But I think their findings are suspect.

         Consider, for example, what has happened on the campus of Ohio State University, particularly with the football team.  Why have so many players come to faith and why are so many students hearing the Gospel and getting baptized at that school? The football team has used their championship platform to honor and glorify Christ. You can learn more by watching the documentary Redemption on the Wonder Project streaming platform.

         There is also the ministry UniteUS which started over two years ago at Auburn University.  At their first event, 5000 students proclaimed the name of Jesus and 200 were baptized. At Florida State University, 4500 students showed up for an event and 350 were baptized.  Since that first event, UniteUS has reached 110,000 students on over 18 different college campuses, like Clemson, University of Tennessee and others. 

         InterVarsity ministry has seen salvations go up by 33%, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes have seen the most salvations since the pandemic.  CRU states they have surpassed one million salvations globally.  Since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, various reports indication and uptick in church attendance by 15%.  Bible sales in 2025 have flown past 10 million copies, which is over a million more than last year. 

         In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis wrote:

“At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.”

         Perhaps it is the beginning of summer in America.

         Those are my thoughts.  I’m Janet Parshall.