Fewer Protestants vocal about their faith in public, study reveals
May 22, 2026
A new Lifeway Research study shows that a growing share of Protestant churchgoers in the U.S. say many people aren’t aware that they’re Christians, even though most say they wouldn’t hesitate to let non-Christians know where they stand on their faith.
The Christian Post reports that the 2025 State of Discipleship Living Unashamed study highlights the beliefs, desires and actions of Protestant churchgoers in the U.S. around living unashamed.
The study included responses from 2,130 Protestant churchgoers to six questions collected in a survey conducted from March 19–26, 2025.
Researchers found that more than half (53%) of Protestant churchgoers either somewhat or strongly disagreed with the statement that “Many people who know me are not aware I am a Christian.”
The study also showed another 30%, however, either strongly or somewhat agreed while 17% were neutral.
According to the study, that 30% share of Christians who agree that many people aren’t aware they are Christian reflects a doubling of that cohort since 2013.
When it comes to letting non-Christians know about their faith, 65% of churchgoers either strongly or somewhat disagree with the statement that “I am hesitant to let non-Christians know that I am a Christian.”
According to the Christian Post, Protestant churchgoers were also almost equally resistant to the statement that “Many aspects of who I am have nothing to do with God.”
The study showed a healthy 61% of them somewhat or strongly disagree. Another 21% strongly or somewhat agree while 18% neither agree nor disagree.
In a statement on the study, Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said, “Ideally, a Christian would be talking about their relationship with Jesus Christ, not as something they have to say, but as an overflow of their love for Him and His impact on their lives. The honesty of churchgoers about gaps in living unashamed reveals large numbers have room for growth in this important aspect of discipleship.”
McConnell added, “It can be very easy to compartmentalize our lives. We have work friends, neighborhood friends, church friends and friends we meet up with for fun who may not overlap. The discipleship question is whether Jesus Christ is in all of these parts of our lives as part of our core identity as a follower of Christ.”
Living Unashamed is one of eight signposts in Lifeway’s Discipleship Pathway Assessment used to measure spiritual maturity.
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