How pastors encourage personal Bible reading
Percent of U.S. Protestant pastors using each method, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Provide free Bibles to those who need one (93%). Lowest: Provide a digital or online reading plan (37%).
- Provide free Bibles to those who need one: 93%
- Remind during sermons: 92%
- Bible readings during worship services: 73%
Source: Lifeway Research, Pastors Encourage Personal Bible Reading Among Churchgoers · Phone survey of 1,003 Protestant pastors; 95% confidence, sampling error no more than plus or minus 3.3%. Article published 2025-01-07.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Provide free Bibles to those who need one (93%). Lowest: Provide a digital or online reading plan (37%). Provide free Bibles to those who need one: 93%. Remind during sermons: 92%. Bible readings during worship services: 73%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: Lifeway Research, Pastors Encourage Personal Bible Reading Among Churchgoers (https://research.lifeway.com/2025/01/07/pastors-encourage-personal-bible-reading-among-churchgoers/).
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More Bible & Discipleship statistics
- Americans in the Movable Middle, curious about the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Americans who have not read any of the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Churches with an intentional plan for discipling individuals Lifeway Research, 2026
- Churchgoers' agreement with statements about Bible engagement Lifeway Research, 2026
- Churchgoers who read the Bible at least a few times a week Lifeway Research, 2026
- Discipleship habits of Protestant churchgoers Lifeway Research, 2026
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.