By Carol Pipes
As the nation mourns America’s pastor, many millennials may be asking “Who?”
Slightly more than half of 18- to 34-year-old Protestant churchgoers say they’ve never interacted with Billy Graham’s ministry and 16 percent say they don’t know who he is, according to a study by Nashville-based Lifeway Research.
“Older churchgoers are much more likely to have listened to a sermon, read a book, or attended a crusade by Graham,” says Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.
Three-quarters (74 percent) of Protestant churchgoers 65 and older have seen one of his sermons on television, as have 57 percent of those ages 50 to 64. That drops to 40 percent among 35-49 year olds and 13 percent of those 18-34.
Nineteen percent of Protestant churchgoers 65 and older—and 14 percent of those 50 to 64—say they’ve been to a Graham crusade. Only 7 percent of 35- to 49-year-old churchgoers have attended a crusade, and only 2 percent among those 18-34.
“For several generations of Americans, Billy Graham had a powerful effect on their Christian faith,” said McConnell. “That’s not true for millennials.”
Related:
- Americans, Especially Millennials, Want God Without Religion
- How Different Are Millennial Evangelicals From Other Evangelicals?
- Billy Graham Remains Influential Among Churchgoers
- Faith Leaders Among America’s Most Admired
CAROL PIPES (@CarolPipes) is editor in chief of Facts & Trends.
