Study signals new opportunity for men’s ministry in Georgia churches

Barna’s latest State of the Church findings point to a significant shift in American church life, reporting that men are attending church now more often than women. The gap is the widest Barna has recorded, with 43 percent of men reporting weekly attendance compared to 36 percent of women. Barna says the rise is being driven mostly by younger men.

Scott Sullivan, discipleship catalyst for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, sees both opportunity and warning in the numbers. “The church has a unique opportunity to capitalize on the rise of male engagement, especially among young men,” he said. “There ought to be an urgency among pastors to disciple future husbands, fathers, and church leaders. The future belongs to those who want it most.”

The study also found that women, especially single mothers and older Boomer women, are pulling back from regular participation. Married dads are now the most likely parents to attend weekly. Gen Z and Millennial adults are more engaged than before the pandemic, and young men show the strongest increase. Women have not returned at the same pace, and single mothers are the least likely of all parents to be in church each week. The report says those patterns could “reshape the fabric of church life in the years to come.”

Sullivan called the decline among women “interesting and disturbing,” especially because so many churches have long depended on women for consistency in worship, service, and prayer. “The decrease in attendance among single mothers and young women points to a cultural disconnect within our churches,” he said.

Barna suggests several possible reasons for the drop among women. Among them are heavier workloads and caregiving responsibilities, church environments geared toward nuclear families, frustrations over limited leadership roles, and the cumulative effect of public leadership failures. Sullivan said that last factor can’t be ignored. “Scandals and leadership failures are without a doubt impacting women’s trust and willingness to stay engaged,” he said. “We have to model servant leadership and humility that line up with Jesus’ teaching.”

The study also shows a growing gap between younger and older women. Boomer women, who once set the pace for church attendance, are slowing down the most. Younger men are doing the opposite. Sullivan said that mix makes the path forward clearer. “I pray that every church in every city in Georgia will focus on a multigenerational strategy of reaching, connecting, and launching disciples,” he said. “A key piece of future success will be tied to intergenerational mentoring.”

Crowded schedules may be contributing to the shift. Sullivan said many people experience church as one more obligation in an already full week. He urged pastors to think in terms of what he called “third space discipleship.” Those are places where people already gather, such as coffee shops, parks, gyms, ball fields, and backyards. He said that if churches keep relying only on a “come and see” approach, they may miss this moment.

Barna concludes that the overall picture is hopeful as church attendance is strengthening. The fact that the increase is more prominent among men, said Daniel Copeland, Barna’s vice president of research, should lead churches to explore more deeply “how women are experiencing church today, particularly younger women and single mothers.”

For Georgia Baptists, the research lands at a time when state leaders are already emphasizing evangelism and discipleship. Sullivan said the Barna report confirms that emphasis. “Thomas Hammond understands this opportunity,” he said of the GBMB executive director. “We’re leaning heavily into men’s ministry across the state to maximize this moment.”