Women more satisfied with their churches’ efforts to help them understand the Bible, poll finds

September 9, 2026

The latest study from the American Bible Society (ABS) on church health shows that confidence in American churches and pastors varies significantly by gender and level of Scripture engagement.

The Christian Post reports that the fifth installment of its “State of the Bible: USA 2026” report examines churchgoers’ level of satisfaction with their churches as it pertains to enabling spiritual growth, understanding the Bible and promoting a culture of service.

According to the study, 43% of churchgoers described themselves as “very satisfied” with how their churches challenge them to “grow and take next steps,” while 31% considered themselves “satisfied” and 26% said they were “not satisfied.”

Analyzing the survey results by gender, female churchgoers proved much more likely than their male counterparts to describe themselves as “very satisfied” with their churches’ efforts to promote the aspects of church health examined in the survey.

According to the Christian Post, Fifty-two percent of female churchgoers said they were “very satisfied” with their churches’ efforts to challenge them to “grow and take next steps,” compared to 33% of male churchgoers.

ABS Chief Innovation Officer and State of the Bible Editor-in-Chief John Farquhar Plake said in a statement, “It’s encouraging to see that a majority of churchgoers in America are satisfied with how their church is serving and equipping them for their daily walks of faith.”

Plake added, “We also see a consistent pattern that healthy churches keep the Bible at their core.”

An overwhelming majority of the Scripture Engaged — those who score 100 or higher on the broader Scripture Engagement Scale, which measures the frequency of Bible use and the centrality of its message in people’s lives — said they are “very satisfied” with their pastors’ efforts to model and reinforce spiritual growth.

The study’s findings are based on 2,649 interviews with U.S. adults, conducted Jan. 8 to 27 in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago.

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