Churchgoers' reactions when a well-known ministry leader abandons the faith
Percent of American Protestant churchgoers, 2019 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Hope they return to the faith (69%). Lowest: Identify with the leader's doubts (8%).
- Hope they return to the faith: 69%
- Sad they abandoned their faith: 63%
- Concern for their eternal destiny: 44%
Source: Lifeway Research, Churchgoers Express Hope, Sadness Over Leaders Who Leave the Faith · Lifeway Research online survey of 1,002 American Protestant churchgoers, September 20-27, 2019. Article published 2020-07-08.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Hope they return to the faith (69%). Lowest: Identify with the leader's doubts (8%). Hope they return to the faith: 69%. Sad they abandoned their faith: 63%. Concern for their eternal destiny: 44%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2019. Source: Lifeway Research, Churchgoers Express Hope, Sadness Over Leaders Who Leave the Faith (https://research.lifeway.com/2020/07/08/churchgoers-express-hope-sadness-over-leaders-who-leave-the-faith/).
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.