Social life in need of divine intervention? Some head to church.
(Illustration by Nick Lingerfelt/The Daily Memphian)
For decades, rates of people attending church have been declining. But these days, that number may no longer be going down.
Kevin Dougherty, a sociology professor at Baylor University, said survey data suggests falling rates of religious-service attendance in the U.S. have leveled off. The share of Americans who identify as Christians shows signs of holding at slightly above six in 10, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center report.
“Whatever the reason is, people seem to be holding steady in a place of worship as an important part of their social life,” Dougherty said.
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Nick Lingerfelt
Nick Lingerfelt has written for Focus Mid-South Magazine, StyleBlueprint, Salon and At Home Memphis & Mid South. When he was a student at the University of Memphis, he was editor-in-chief of The Daily Helmsman, the school’s student newspaper.
Also while a student at the U of M, he received the Otis Sanford Outstanding Journalism Student award and the 2nd Place Marc Perrusquia Investigative Journalism Award for a story about the demographic makeup of the school’s sports teams.
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