Why Evangelicals Aren’t Afraid of Being Outnumbered by Nones

With 28 percent of Americans saying they don’t belong to a religious tradition, the “nones” now outnumber any single faith group in the US, according to a Pew Research Center study released last month.

Their retreat from church, Pew polling shows, is fueled not only by secular disbelief but also by negative perceptions of Christian institutions and leaders. To evangelical Protestants—currently 24 percent of the country—the trend might seem like a defeat. Or like a massive opportunity.

Evangelical leaders recognize the factors that are leading people away from faith: Christian environments where they feel their questions aren’t welcome; hurt and distrust around scandals in the church; and societal shifts that make orthodox beliefs less culturally acceptable, to name a few.

But they still say the church shouldn’t feel threatened by the trends around disaffiliation and deconstruction or fear the rise of the nones.