Rainer on Leadership

The Burge Report: Retention Rates in Churches Are Not What They Used to Be (Here’s Why)


Listen Later

How many people are really leaving their childhood faith? Ryan Burge joins Thom and Sam on this special episode to unpack important data for churches. Retention rates are a good indicator of how well a church disciples people. Keeping people is a major part of church health. The hosts discuss the data concerning national trends with church retention.

    • A retention rate is the percentage of people who were raised in a certain faith tradition that still affiliate with that same tradition as adults.
    • Mainline Protestants struggle with retention. The rate was 76% in the 1970s. Today it is 58%.
    • Conservative Evangelicals fare better. Retention rates in the 1970s were 78%. Today it is 73%.
    • When a mainline Protestant leaves their tradition, they are almost as likely to become an evangelical as a none (14% vs 20%).
    • When evangelicals leave, the most likely landing spot is nones at 13%. But that’s that many folks at the end of the day.
    • The exvangelical movement is really not that big. The mainline to evangelical pipeline is actually larger.
    • What might the future hold? The aging of congregations and “leaky boats” with more holes.
    • Resources:
      • Tithe.ly
        • 2023 State of Church Giving
          • “How Many People Leave Their Childhood Religion?” by Ryan Burge
            • Ryan Burge
              • Know Your Community
                • Church Health Scorecard
                  • “The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church” by Sarah McCammon (affiliate link)
                    • The Everything Church Resource Directory
                      • The Hope Initiative
                        • Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector
                        • Episode Sponsors:

                          Tithely provides churches around the world with software tools to help them and their ministries thrive.

                          Nearly 40,000 churches use Tithely for online and text giving, managing their people’s information, volunteer management, child check in, church apps and websites, and communicating through email and text messaging.

                          Made up of a team of ministry-minded people, Tithely’s heart is to see the local church empowered with the tools to fulfill their mission.

                          You can sign up for free at Tithely.com – yes that’s right, it’s free! Tithely’s giving platform comes with no monthly fees and no contracts. Get started taking donations in just 5 minutes at Tithely.com.

                          Also, right now Tithely is offering a free report called “2023 State of Church Giving Report.” You can access that report free by clicking on the link in the show notes.

                          The post The Burge Report: Retention Rates in Churches Are Not What They Used to Be (Here’s Why) appeared first on Church Answers.

                          ...more
                          View all episodesView all episodes
                          Download on the App Store

                          Rainer on LeadershipBy Thom Rainer

                          • 4.8
                          • 4.8
                          • 4.8
                          • 4.8
                          • 4.8

                          4.8

                          461 ratings


                          More shows like Rainer on Leadership

                          View all
                          Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast by Andy Stanley

                          Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast

                          2,272 Listeners

                          The Briefing with Albert Mohler by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

                          The Briefing with Albert Mohler

                          8,527 Listeners

                          Thinking in Public with Albert Mohler by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

                          Thinking in Public with Albert Mohler

                          1,002 Listeners

                          The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast by Art of Leadership Network

                          The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

                          2,253 Listeners

                          Light + Truth by Desiring God

                          Light + Truth

                          1,421 Listeners

                          Group Answers Podcast with Brian Daniel by Lifeway Podcast Network

                          Group Answers Podcast with Brian Daniel

                          39 Listeners

                          5 Leadership Questions Podcast on Church Leadership with Todd Adkins and Dan Iten by Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

                          5 Leadership Questions Podcast on Church Leadership with Todd Adkins and Dan Iten

                          361 Listeners

                          New Churches Podcast by Send Network

                          New Churches Podcast

                          263 Listeners

                          The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast by Pete Scazzero

                          The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast

                          669 Listeners

                          Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast by Life.Church

                          Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast

                          10,694 Listeners

                          EST. - For the Established Church with Sam Rainer and Josh King by EST.church

                          EST. - For the Established Church with Sam Rainer and Josh King

                          155 Listeners

                          Pastors Talk - A podcast by 9Marks by 9Marks

                          Pastors Talk - A podcast by 9Marks

                          705 Listeners

                          The Global Leadership Podcast by Global Leadership Network

                          The Global Leadership Podcast

                          264 Listeners

                          The Church Answers Podcast by The Church Answers Podcast

                          The Church Answers Podcast

                          268 Listeners

                          Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture by Talbot School of Theology at Biola University / Sean McDowell & Scott Rae

                          Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

                          1,235 Listeners

                          The One Thing by Reach Australia

                          The One Thing

                          11 Listeners

                          Replicate - Making Disciples Podcast by Replicate Ministries

                          Replicate - Making Disciples Podcast

                          490 Listeners

                          Preachers Talk - A podcast by 9Marks & The Charles Simeon Trust by 9Marks

                          Preachers Talk - A podcast by 9Marks & The Charles Simeon Trust

                          182 Listeners

                          GrowLeader Podcast with Chris Hodges by Chris Hodges

                          GrowLeader Podcast with Chris Hodges

                          329 Listeners

                          The Everyday Pastor by Matt Smethurst, Ligon Duncan

                          The Everyday Pastor

                          72 Listeners