There is no shortage of literature about the challenges facing today’s church leaders, from the rise of the “nones” (those with no religious affiliation) to the decline of worship attendance.

But it’s not all bad news. New research shows local churches are still making a difference.

Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts recently surveyed 1,010 evangelical Christians for a report titled The Spiritual Journey: How Evangelicals Come to Faith. Following are some key findings.

Church Reach

Many evangelicals point to a church’s influence as a major reason they came to faith.

In fact, 16% of evangelicals report a church they attended had the single greatest impact on their conversion decision, while another 44% name a church as a significant contributing factor.

Additionally, 7% say the single biggest factor in their decision was a specific pastor, with 32% calling this a significant factor.

Another 3% report a church leader other than a pastor (e.g., a Sunday School teacher, deacon, or small group leader) was the most important contributor, and 16% say such a church leader played a significant role.

Put another way, 35 million evangelical adults today are Christians at least in part because of a church’s influence; 23 million because of a specific pastor; and 11 million because of another church leader.

In total, 43 million evangelicals came to faith through the influence of a church or church leader.

When pastors, staff members, and volunteers wonder whether their ministry efforts are making a difference, such figures should bring encouragement.

Family Support

What happens at home also affects many faith decisions.

When naming the single greatest influence in becoming a Christian, 28% cite parents. A total of 51% say one or both parents played a significant role in their decision.

Other family members — such as grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, or cousins — are also important. About one-third of evangelicals (32%) report that a family member other than a parent influenced their decision to come to faith.

Age of Decision

Why do parents play such a central role in faith decisions? Because the average adult evangelical came to faith at age 15. About 7 in 10 (72%) accepted Christ before age 18.

Of the 28% who became Christians as adults, one-quarter still mention parents as a significant reason.

Among evangelicals who came to faith during childhood, 26% were aged 5–9 at conversion; 24% were 10–12; and 17% were teens.

Just 4% of evangelicals surveyed became Christians within the past four years. Among those who accepted Christ as adults, the conversion happened 25 years ago on average.

Varied Experiences

Most evangelicals (96%) recall multiple influences in their decision for Christ, with the average respondent citing 3.4 different factors.

In addition to church and family, 46% say personal Bible reading was an influence.

Most evangelicals (96%) recall multiple influences in their decision for Christ, with the average respondent citing 3.4 different factors.

Other influences include spouses or significant others (14%), friends (22%), Christian books (8%), events (14%), radio or television programs (4%), and difficulties or tragedies that drove them toward God (23%).

While thoughts of conversion often bring to mind evangelistic crusades, church altar calls, and other dramatic experiences, only 46% of evangelicals can recall a specific point in their lives when they decided to trust Christ.

Instead, 37% say they were raised as Christians, and while they can identify an age at which they accepted these beliefs as truth, they cannot recollect a precise moment of decision.

Another 16% say their conversion was a gradual one, with no distinct transformation date or event.

Key Takeaways

Research is helpful only when we put it to use. So, what can we learn from these numbers?

First, church ministry is vital. Pastoral discouragement is at unfortunately high levels. This research is an important reminder of the need for pastors.

If you ever feel like giving up on pastoral ministry, there are 43 million reasons to carry on.

It’s not just pastors who become discouraged. Deacons, elders, teachers, worship leaders, administrators, and others in the church wrestle with doubts about whether their contributions matter.

Not only did such staff members and volunteers play a role in the 43 million decisions for Christ influenced by churches, but they specifically contributed to 11 million decisions.

While celebration of positive news is worthwhile, there are other things we can learn that may increase ministry effectiveness.

One reason people don’t evangelize is fear. This may include anxiety over not being able to answer questions, looking foolish, or facing rejection, but fear of failure is a major obstacle to people sharing Christ. And lack of obvious results may be one reason some Christians stop trying.

Are we setting up believers to feel as though they have failed if their ministry efforts don’t directly result in conversions?

A common description of evangelism as “leading people to Christ” suggests each witness will directly see results. Yet with an average of 3.4 different influencing factors by the time someone becomes a Christian, there’s a 71% chance that if you are one of those factors, you won’t be the final one. You may never see the fruits of your efforts, no matter how critically important they were.

In reality, evangelism is often like working in a community garden. One person prepares the soil, another plants the seed, a third pulls the weeds, and others reap the harvest.

Does evangelism training sufficiently prepare people for being contributors rather than just converters? Congregants need to understand that the measure of successful evangelism is not only conversions, but also effort and engagement.

Considering nearly all evangelicals cite multiple influences in conversion, evangelism training should encourage parishioners to help others contribute to processes they start.

Share the gospel, but then leave a book, send a link to a website, extend an invitation to an event, suggest a Bible reading app, or introduce the person to another Christian who may have an opportunity to build on the work already underway.

The fact that nearly 3 in 4 evangelicals come to faith before adulthood highlights the importance of ministry to children and teens. Churches should consider focusing even more on these areas.

Conversely, while most evangelicals made a decision during their first 17 years, only one-quarter did so during their remaining decades.

Despite all the time and money dedicated to adult evangelism, relatively few adults are coming to Christ. It is worth evaluating how your church can better utilize available resources to move the needle on this metric.

Finally, parents play a significant role in leading their children to Christ. Churches should prepare families for evangelism and discipleship at home.

Further, we can encourage grandparents, aunts and uncles, and others to reach their family members. The youth group can equip teens to become spiritual mentors to their siblings and friends.

Prayerfully review your church’s evangelism efforts in light of these research findings. Celebrate contributions, but also consider how some changes might sharpen your evangelistic focus for an even greater harvest of souls.

This article appears in the Summer 2024 issue of Influence magazine.