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Who Has Been Born Again?

by Albert L. Winseman

The "born-again" experience is a significant part of the American religious landscape, and seems to be a phenomenon with considerable staying power. Indeed, born-again Christians wield considerable influence in several areas of contemporary society. So exactly how many Americans are born-again, and which Americans are most likely to identify themselves this way?

The percentage of Americans who identify themselves as "born-again" or "evangelical" did not shift from 2003 to 2004, according to Gallup data aggregated from each year*. In 2003, 42% of U.S. adults said they were born-again or evangelical; the 2004 percentage is 41%.

There is little difference between the percentages of men (39%) and women (42%) who said in 2004 they are born-again; similarly, there are no significant differences by age. But a few other demographic categories display fairly typical variations here.

Region and Race

Billy Graham, perhaps the most famous evangelist of all time and author a how-to book on being born again, is from the South, and the South has far and away the highest concentration of born-agains/evangelicals in the country. A solid majority of Southerners describe themselves as born-again (58%), while just 38% of those in the South say they are not. The numbers are nearly opposite in the East and West -- 26% of residents of the East are born-again, while 69% are not, and 27% of Americans living in the West say they are born-again, while 64% are not. Midwesterners are in between these two extremes -- 44% of those in the Midwest describe themselves as born-again, while 53% do not.

Black Americans are far more likely to identify themselves as born-again or evangelical, with 63% of blacks saying they are born-again, compared with 39% of white Americans.

Other Factors

The percentage of born-agains is higher among Americans with no college education and lower among those with at least some college education, 49% vs. 33%, respectively. And as income goes up, the percentage of self-described born-agains goes down: 47% of those who make $30,000 a year or less claim to be born-again, compared with 33% of those who make $75,000 or more a year. Finally, Republicans are far more likely to say they are born-again (52%) than Democrats (36%) or independents (32%).

Finally -- and not surprisingly -- individuals who attend religious services weekly or more often are far more likely to describe themselves as born-again than those who attend services less frequently. Sixty percent of weekly attendees are self-reported born-agains or evangelicals, while only 44% of those who attend less than weekly or monthly and 23% of those who seldom or never attend identify this way. Not coincidentally, church attendance is highest in the South and Midwest, and lowest in the West and East.

Bottom Line

Because a sizable percentage of Americans consider themselves to be born-again, religious leaders need to take an active role in response to this trend. They can help their members -- both those who are born-again and those who are not -- come to a deeper understanding of the theology of, and biblical witness to, the born-again experience.

They can also help interpret the terms born-again and evangelical for a secular society. Religious leaders need to encourage harmony on this issue. Particularly in a political climate that remains fairly contentious, there are those who are inclined to use religious orientation -- particularly the born-again experience, with its philosophical implications of repentance and spiritual rebirth -- to divide rather than unite people.

*Results based on aggregated data from surveys in 2003 and 2004, conducted with 2,003 national adults, aged 18 and older. Based on this total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.

Author(s)

As Global Practice Leader for Faith Communities, Dr. Winseman leads Gallup's research and consulting services that assist faith communities in helping their members become more engaged. He is a co-author of Living Your Strengths, written to help members discover and use their talents and strengths in their congregations. Before joining Gallup, he was a pastor in the United Methodist Church for 15 years.


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