The 'Nones' – Understanding & Reaching Those Who Step Away from Church

BOSTON -- Christian leaders are grappling to understand the rise of the religiously unaffiliated in the U.S. – and how to reach them.

The Pew Research Center has labeled them religious "nones" which includes people who say they don't believe in God, question His existence or say their religion is "nothing in particular."

More than 23% of U.S. adults now fall in this category, compared with 16% in 2007.

Pew also says these "nones" are becoming less religious. Researchers conducted a religious survey in 2007 and again in 2014. They found the number of "nones" that don't believe in God jumped from 22% to 33%. They also found that the number of "nones" who believe in God fell from 70% to 61%.

Growing Up as a 'None'

Amanda Jodrey grew up in Massachusetts as a "none." She didn't go to church or speak with anyone who did. "My mom always told me 'we don't talk to people who believe in God because they're weird or they're different,'" she said.

Craig Aucoin, on the other hand, grew up attending church somewhat regularly but in high school he took a stand. "At that point I said 'I'm done with church. I don't want to go. I don't see any benefit. I don't see any reason why I should be going,'" he said. 

Both Aucoin and Jodrey represent the emerging "nones." Pew says high numbers live in the Northeast and Northwest and many are young adults.

"It's a new phenomenon we're trying to understand," said Dr. Sharon Ketcham, associate professor of theology and Christian ministries at Gordon College. 

The Pew studies found respondents expressing a wide variety of reasons for their disengagement with any religious group. Many don't believe in their faith anymore or don't like or see the need for church. Aucoin says that's what he thought in his twenties. "Really it was—'Yes, I believe in your God but I'm going to do things my way and as long as I'm a good person and as long as I do good deeds that will be enough,'" he said.

Others, like Jodrey, say they just don't think about going to church or are too busy. As a young adult Jodrey said "church never crossed my mind as something that I needed to do or seek."

A Culture Where Church-Goers are 'Consumers'

Ketcham sees a bigger picture—a culture in which people are consumers and judge church based on what it provides for their personal needs. "We then have the amplification of 'me and Jesus,'" she said, "and a reduction of the larger understanding of what the community of faith is about."

Another part of the problem, says Ketcham, is simply the growing number of choices that people have in choosing a church or ways to spend their time. "There were days that we lived in where communities were a given in our lives," said Ketcham, "But today, community is voluntary. I can choose whatever church, whatever small group, whatever program meets my needs."

Pastor Chad Braswell leads Metro Church in Marlborough, Massachusetts. He's well aware of those who are disconnected from any faith community but says he's not discouraged. "I just think that when times get darker, the light shines brighter. So yes, I see the numbers that you see but I also see this growing hunger after Christ," he said.

Many first-timers to Metro church tell Braswell that their experiences of guilt or shame in previous churches overwhelmed them and blocked any message of grace or hope. "A lot of churches put so much focus on holiness rather than the hope that Jesus talks about," said Braswell, "I feel that some people just feel they can't live up to that expectation and the guilt of what they've done or what they are into."

A focus on grace drew in Jodrey her first time at Metro. The single mom remembers a co-worker's invitation to an Easter service and how she cried throughout the sermon. "I'm like—'this is real. This actually happened'" she remembers thinking, "it wasn't just stories or people saying things." 

When the service ended, however, she determined never to return. "I was so freaked out about the entire message, crying," she said, "I was so embarrassed and went out back and I got my daughter from kids church and I was like 'we are never coming back here' and she was like 'but mom, I met so many new friends—we have to come back!'"

Finding Community

They did return and today, Jodrey is involved in multiple ministries at Metro as is Aucoin, whose wife led him back to church five years ago. "At this point in my life," said Aucoin, "I couldn't imagine doing life without this community, without this group of people."

That deep connection is key because research shows that people long for community and a deeper purpose than themselves. There's no easy fix or formula for reaching the "nones" but a church that loves its members and community well is off to a great start.