Becca, a 45-year-old nonprofit executive, grew up going to church on Wednesdays and Sundays. “Basically, any day that the church was open, my family was there. For me, it was never a sanctuary. It was routine; it was what we did.” As Becca got older, she started to ask questions about her faith. Her church discouraged her doubts and questions, and the rigidity of rules and regulations within her denomination pushed her away from the Church.

Today, Becca is disaffiliated from the Church, though she maintains a faith. “I definitely believe in something,” she says. “I want to be a good person as best I can, and I want to spread kindness. I want to see people who are mutually respectful to one another and understanding of differences. That’s what my spirituality is to me. It's being with like-minded people and also understanding that you don't have to be like-minded to be able to share space and that's okay.”

Becca’s faith journey illustrates the disparity between people’s perceptions of the Church and their views of Jesus. Understanding these differences and looking for clues on how the Church may be able to overcome its reputational challenges is the focus of this article.

Spiritual, Committed but Not Necessarily Religious

First, as we’ve reported in previous articles in this Spiritually Open series, our data shows a desire among Americans of every generation to grow spiritually, a belief in a spiritual / supernatural dimension and a belief in God or a higher power.

Added to the increasing spiritual interest among U.S. adults, data from our recent The Open Generation: United States study shows roughly half of U.S. teens (52%) are very motivated to continue learning about Jesus. Overwhelmingly, Christian teens today say that Jesus still matters to them—76 percent say, “Jesus speaks to me in a way that is relevant to my life.” Gen Z remains refreshingly open to Jesus as an influence in their lives.

When we asked Americans whether they have a positive or negative opinion of Jesus, seven in 10 (71%) say they view him positively. Of all U.S. teens and adults, 63 percent say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today. This is actually most common among Millennials, of whom 70 percent say their commitment to Jesus is still important to them.  Overall, the percentage of Americans who agree with this statement has declined fewer than 10 percentage points over the last 20 years (which is less of a decline than what is observed with other Barna faith metrics like church attendance).

With the general population indicating a warm and positive perception of Jesus, how is it possible that the U.S. is increasingly and swiftly becoming more post-Christian?

The answer appears to lie in the dichotomy between how people perceive Jesus versus how they view his followers and the institutional Church.

Beyond Jesus, when it comes to views of other Christian groups or entities, positive opinions wane. People of no faith are neutral or leaning negative—and for celebrity, mega- or famous representatives of the faith, opinions are decidedly negative.

Among those of no faith, even Christian individuals are not viewed so favorably. The data below shows why people are reluctant to hold Christian beliefs, with the top reason today being “hypocrisy of religious people.” 

This isn’t to say that, at a surface level, present-day Christianity doesn’t have a welcome presence in the U.S. It is typically seen as respected, principled, loving, friendly, generous and so on. More telling than these general descriptions, however, are the glaring disparities between how Christians and those of no faith regard Christianity. These gaps represent the hurdles the Church needs to overcome, especially if sharing faith or welcoming people into churches is the goal.

Some of the biggest differences appear when it comes to how much less likely people of no faith are to call Christianity a faith they respect (15%), and how much more likely they are than Christians to describe the faith as judgmental (48%) and hypocritical (49%).

“The work of Christians is to embody Jesus—full of truth and grace—and reflect his image in all they say and do,” says David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. “The data shows they too often fall short.”

Getting Out of Jesus’ Way

Many of the reasons people distance themselves from Christianity appear legitimate and speak to needs for reconciliation, outreach and reputational repair on behalf of Christians. One reason this matters so much: Churches, pastors and Christians are still well-positioned to offer meaningful introductions to the character, history and Way of Jesus. When barriers to churches exist, barriers to deeper knowledge of Jesus may exist—and even our data underscores how Jesus still speaks to the core longings of teens and adults today.

In “Soul Searching: What Spirituality Means to Americans Today,” we grouped respondents according to their approach to soul searching and their primary spiritual longings. The largest group, Nonconformists, make up 38 percent of the population. They are primarily seeking inner peace. Explorers, comprised of one in five teens and adults and marked by their curious spiritual disposition, are looking for inner peace, healing and growth, signs of a desire for something more.

The Devout, which includes another one-fifth of adults—a third of whom are practicing Christians—are seeking salvation, forgiveness and guidance, some of the distinct messages of the Christian faith. The Mature are the 15 percent who are steady and content in their spirituality. They want spirituality that anchors them with truth and purpose.

Finally, one in 10 people offers a spiritual self-portrait that we call Doubtful. The Doubtful stand out in their primary longing for forgiveness.

When we look at the terms people use to describe Jesus, there are obvious connections between people’s spiritual longings—such as inner peace, healing, growth, salvation, forgiveness, guidance, truth and purpose—and the terms they use to describe Jesus: compassionate, healer, cares for friends, offers forgiveness, forgives those who wronged him. Indeed, this study shows how Christ and his message speak to some of the population’s primary spiritual desires.

Our data on the rising spiritual openness in America reveals a tremendous opportunity for faith leaders. The majority of Americans have signaled that they’re open to searching out what will truly satisfy their souls’ deepest longings, and they look to Jesus as a positive influence on their search. The challenge facing the Church and parachurch ministries is whether they are ready and able to meet the spiritually open—where they are, as they are.

“​​I think churches have become this space where people feel like they have to put their masks on,” says Becca. “We're not perfect individuals. We are not without sin. We need to have a space where we can feel safe and where we can feel loved as who we are and not feel as if we have to portray ourselves any different. A church shouldn't make you have to feel bad about who you are. It should want to support you in the journey that you're on.”

Perhaps as Christians more consistently exemplify the traits that Jesus modeled—cultivating real relationships and listening with empathy and curiosity—the Church will begin to restore its reputation and bridge the trust gap for a world that’s mostly open to Jesus’ message, but skeptical about some of his messengers.

“We're in a new wineskin moment,” says Kinnaman. “As Christ-followers, we know that every question and need can be answered in and through Christ. But for people to submit to this truth, they need to see it demonstrated in us first. If we really believe that God is active and alive in the world, then we have to help people hear that Jesus is actually speaking to them. We have to help them listen to what God is telling them and try to get out of the way.”

To move from insights to action and apply the findings covered in this article, go to “Restoring the Church’s Reputation: A Field Guide for Faith Leaders,” a free downloadable resource.