In the past twenty-five years, something unprecedented has happened in American Christianity: millions have walked away from the church.

Roughly 15 percent of American adults, about 40 million people, have stopped attending any house of worship. That’s more than all the converts gained from the First and Second Great Awakenings, and even the massive Billy Graham crusades combined.

This shift isn’t confined to a particular denomination, region, or demographic. No theological tradition, age group, ethnicity, income level, education bracket, or political leaning escaped the trend. The exodus spans both evangelicals and mainline Protestants, though the latter at a more staggering rate.

Here are the denominations showing dramatic declines since 1990:

• United Methodist Church: –31%
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: –41%
• United Church of Christ: –52%
• Presbyterian Church (USA): –58%
• Episcopal Church: Only 500,000 attend weekly

But what about the growth of new churches and the expansion of others? Even as new churches emerge, they cannot keep pace with the exodus. In 2019 alone, 4,500 Protestant churches closed, while only 3,000 new ones started.

And, most churches are actually small, with 70% of them having fewer than 100 weekly attendees.

Churches are not just losing members—they’re losing financial resources critical to sustaining ministries and outreach. The 40 million Americans who left church control roughly $1.4 trillion in total annual income. Of that, based on average giving patterns—$24.7 billion is no longer reaching Christian congregations.

The implications are enormous. They not only affect the lives of congregations but also the broader social fabric. This change demands attention, and it is just the beginning of the conversation.