EDITORIAL
Barna Trends | David Kinnaman
Although it’s easy to get discouraged by the state of the world today, our team at Barna is happy to share some good news: We are witnessing a significant, positive spiritual shift.
In Barna’s recent research, we found that 66% of American adults say they’ve made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today. That number has climbed steadily over the past three years, up from just 54% in 2021. As someone who’s been tracking religious data for decades, I can tell you this kind of rebound is not something we see often.
And it’s something to celebrate. Nearly 30 million more people today than five years ago say they are committed to Jesus.
Young Adults Lead the Way
Equally striking is who is driving this trend. It’s not just older adults returning to faith. It’s younger generations—especially Gen Z and millennial men—leading the way. Among Gen Z men, commitment to Jesus jumped 15 percentage points between 2019 and 2025. Millennial men saw a similar spike of 19 percentage points.
Typically, we expect to see religiosity increase with age. But this time, it’s the young adults showing renewed interest in Jesus. This is a new moment for the church.
Rising Commitment to Christ Among Non-Christians
There’s another layer to this story that’s just as compelling. When we asked two separate questions—one about religious identity (“Do you consider yourself a Christian?”) and another about personal faith commitment (“Have you made a personal commitment to Jesus?”)—we discovered that some people who do not identify as Christian still say they’ve made a commitment to Christ.
At first glance, that may seem contradictory. But in our increasingly pluralistic, post-Christian society, spiritual identity is complex. Many are searching, exploring and encountering Jesus in ways that don’t fit within traditional religious categories. And they’re willing to say so in a survey. I believe that’s significant.
This openness presents a profound opportunity and a challenge.
Spiritual Openness is High, Yet Evangelism Wanes.
Despite rising spiritual interest, we’re not seeing a corresponding increase in evangelistic engagement. The percentage of Christians who strongly agree they have a personal responsibility to share their faith has not grown; it’s remained at 28% since 2022. That’s a missed moment.
It’s time to equip everyday believers with renewed confidence in the gospel. We need to encourage faith sharing not through pressure or guilt, but by inviting people to see that their neighbors may be far more open than they assume.
The Harvest Is Ready.
People are still hurting. They’re still searching for hope, meaning and belonging. The message of Jesus is as relevant as ever, and increasingly, people are open to hearing it.
So let’s pray. Let’s lead. Let’s equip our congregations to recognize and respond to this spiritual momentum with compassion and clarity.
The harvest is ready. Let’s not miss it.