New Survey Finds Americans Want Churches That Feel More Traditional
According to research from Barna Group and Aspen Group, a representative sample of 2,000 Americans say that when it comes to church architecture, they prefer “traditional.” As Daniel Silliman reported from Christianity Today, Nearly 90% of Americans say a church should be “easily identifiable,” and eight of 10 say they want the building to “reflect the beauty of God.” There are some, to be sure, who prefer that churches feel modern (38%) and trendy (28%), but most Americans want religious spaces that feel more timeless and transcendent.
I doubt many would disagree, even among those who lead contemporary churches. Yes, conventional wisdom is that large, outward-focused churches try to not look like traditional churches, but that isn’t exactly correct. There is a difference between tradition and traditionalism. What many churches tried to do was to create a setting that was, yes, a church, but not only that was unnecessarily bound to forms of architecture that were unnecessarily out-of-date. Think pews as opposed to more comfortable seating.
The desire for a space that is calming, inviting, or reflective can be met through any number of architectural designs beyond a white building with a steeple on the outside and red carpet on the inside.
The more important dynamic is, of course, what happens inside that building.
As editorial project manager Mia Staub wrote in a “behind the story” comment in the Christianity Today email that listed the findings:
I am all for beautiful church buildings. I had a friend whom I would consider to be a “yearner” tells me she sometimes just walks into churches because they are so artful and inspiring. I recently visited New York, and I was stunned at the number of beautiful churches sandwiched between skyscrapers and shops. When I studied abroad in England, I visited a cathedral whose building brought me to tears and is currently on rotation as a lock screen on my phone.
But while I love sitting in churches that feel “churchy,” I also deeply love the high school auditorium where my church meets in the heart of Hollywood. I feel the same sort of reverence looking at the high school pool I was baptized in as I feel looking at the Salisbury Cathedral in England. I love the disco ball hanging in our “sanctuary” that reminds me to pray for the students at the school. Church buildings, whether high school auditoriums or stunning cathedrals are all a testament to God’s witness and his people here on Earth.
Yes.
James Emery White
Sources
“Making Space,” Barna, read online.
Daniel Silliman, “Americans Think Church Should Look Churchy,” Christianity Today, March/April 2025, read online.
Photo Courtesy: ©Unsplash/JohnyVino
Published Date: March 31, 2025
James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook, and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.
Originally published March 31, 2025.
