WAUKESHA, Wis. — Less than 50% of Americans now consider themselves to be members of a church.

According to data from Gallup it is at the lowest point since data began being tracked in the 1940s. The survey showed that in 2020, just 47% of people surveyed said they were members of a church. 

The reasons behind the somewhat rapid decline are complex, but what is clear is that the impact can be seen not only on paper, but in churches here in Wisconsin. At Southminster Presbyterian Church in Waukesha, Pastor Christian Boyd has seen a change over the years when it comes to church participation. 

“Southminster is a microcosm of what we have seen in the United States around the concept of church membership and church participation,” says Boyd.

Pastor Boyd says in recent years he has seen a decline in the number of people participating in traditional Sunday services, even prior to the pandemic. However, Boyd says participation in community based service activities has remained strong and even grown. 

What is causing the decline in participation in churches? There are likely many factors at play, but UWM Professor of History Chris Cantwell, who studies religion, says changing ways of communicating and interaction through social media likely play a role.

In addition, Dr. Cantwell says it could mark a larger societal change. 

“I think a lot of people look at this data and think these studies say America is becoming more secular," Cantwell says. "I don’t think that is true at all, I think what we are going to see is the United States becoming less outwardly Christian."

For now, churches like Southminster say they are working to adapt to changing times while still staying true to tradition and their core mission as a faith community.