Portraits of Protestant Teens: a Report on Teenagers in Major U.S

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Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations

Philip Schwadel University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]

Christian Smith University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Schwadel, Philip and Smith, Christian, "Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations" (2005). Sociology Department, Faculty Publications. 113. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub/113

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by Phil Schwadel and Christian Smith The National Study of Youth and Religion, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and under the direction of Dr. Christian Smith, professor in the Department of Sociology, is based at the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The purpose of the project is to research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of U.S. adolescents; to identify effective practices in the religious, moral, and social formation of the lives of youth; to describe the extent to which youth participate in and benefit from the programs and opportunities that religious communities are offering to their youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about the influence of religion in youth's lives, in order to encourage sustained reflection about and rethinking of our cultural and institutional practices with regard to youth and religion.

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations by Phil Schwadel and Christian Smith

About the Authors — Philip Schwadel, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher with the National Study of Youth and Religion. Christian Smith is Stuart Chapin Distinguished Professor and associate chair of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Cover Design: Alison Duncan, Durham, NC Interior Design: Roxann L. Miller

Editors: Roxann L. Miller Melinda L. Denton

Copyeditors: Marjorie Hudson, Pittsboro, NC Adam Long, Durham, NC

Additional copies of this report are available for $7.00. Please make checks payable to the Odum Institute and mail to: National Study of Youth and Religion The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill CB# 3057 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3057

Website: www.youthandreligion.org Email: [email protected] Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 5 INTRODUCTION ...... 7 NOTE ON DATA AND METHODS ...... 12 RELIGIOUS PARTICIPATION Church Attendance ...... 15 Religious Youth Groups ...... 16 Sunday School ...... 17 Religious Camps ...... 18 Religious Youth Retreats ...... 19 Religious Music Group or Choir ...... 20 RELIGIOUS BELIEFS Belief in God ...... 21 Unsure About Belief in God ...... 22 Views of God ...... 23 Closeness to God ...... 24 Belief in the Afterlife ...... 25 Belief in Angels ...... 26 Belief in Miracles ...... 27 Belief in Judgment Day ...... 28 FAITH, PRACTICES, AND EXPERIENCES Importance of Faith ...... 29 Committed to Live Life for God ...... 30 Reading the Bible ...... 31 Prayer ...... 32 Prayer with Parents ...... 33 Prayer Answered ...... 34 Powerful Experience of Spiritual Worship ...... 35 SHARING FAITH Religious Group at School ...... 36 Express Religious Beliefs at School ...... 37 Family Talks About Religious Things ...... 38 Publicly Spoken About Faith in Religious Service or Meeting ...... 39 Shared Faith with Person not of their Faith ...... 40

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 3 EVALUATIONS OF CHURCH Church Is Usually Warm and Welcoming ...... 41 Church Is Usually Boring ...... 42 Church Usually Makes Teen Think About Important Things ...... 43 Church Is a Very Good Place to Talk About Serious Issues ...... 44 Adults in Teen’s Church Are Somewhat or Very Easy to Talk with and Get to Know ...... 45 Adults in Congregation are Hypocrites ...... 46 Teens in Congregation are Hypocrites ...... 47 Opportunities for Teen Involvement in Church ...... 48 Would Attend Same Church ...... 49 Parent’s View that Church Has Been Very or Extremely Helpful in Raising their Teen ...... 50 Parent’s View that Ministry to Teens Is a Very Important Priority in their Church ...... 51 MORAL VIEWS AND RISK BEHAVIORS Moral Relativism ...... 52 Confusion over Right and Wrong ...... 53 Sexual Abstinence before Marriage ...... 54 Sexual Intercourse ...... 55 Cheating in School ...... 56 Lying to Parents ...... 57 Drinking Alcohol ...... 58 Smoking Cigarettes ...... 59 Using Marijuana ...... 60 CIVIC ACTIVITIES Volunteering and Community Service ...... 61 Helping Needy People ...... 62 Political Activity ...... 63 CONCLUSIONS ...... 64 Appendix A: Religious Traditions ...... 68 Appendix B: Demographic Characteristics ...... 70

4 National Study of Youth and Religion Executive Summary This report examines the religious beliefs and practices of American Protestant teenagers using new, nationally representative survey data from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). The NSYR is a major study of the religious and spiritual lives of contemporary American teens, which recently produced a book on its major findings entitled, Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (by Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton, Oxford University Press, 2005). In addition to broadly describing the religious outlook of Protestant teenagers today — and as a more detailed, descriptive follow-up to that book — this report highlights several positive and negative experiences and evaluations of teenagers in different Protestant denominations and groupings of denominations. In brief, this report presents the following findings in these areas of interest: ♦ Religious Participation: Protestant teenagers are relatively active in religious organizations and activities, both within and beyond their churches. About one-half of all Protestant teens attend church weekly, participate in Sunday school or in a religious youth group, pray and attend a religious summer camp or retreat, though less than one-third read the Bible each week. This also means, however, that substantial numbers of Protestant teens are not actively participating in their religious traditions. Teens from conservative denominations such as Southern Baptist Convention and Assemblies of God are especially likely to regularly attend church and participate in other religious activities. ♦ Theological Beliefs: Protestant teenagers are likely to hold many traditional Christian religious beliefs. The majority of Protestant teens say they believe in God, the afterlife, angels, demons, miracles, judgment day and they view God as a personal being involved in the lives of people today. Sizable numbers of Protestant teens, on the other hand, do not hold these traditional

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 5 Christian religious beliefs. Teens from conservative and black Protestant denominations are more likely than mainline Protestant teens to hold these religious beliefs. ♦ Importance of Faith: The majority of Protestant teenagers report that their religious faith is very important in their lives. Most of them also say that their families talk about religion together, that they have shared their faith with someone not of their faith and that they have had a powerful worship experience. A large minority of all Protestant teenagers, and in the case of some denominations a majority of teenagers, do not report that religious faith is very important in their lives. Teens from conservative and black Protestant denominations are particularly likely to report that faith is important in their lives. ♦ Evaluations of Churches: The majority of Protestant teenagers express relatively positive views of their churches and fellow church members. They typically report that they would continue to attend church if it were totally up to them, that they would attend a similar church if given the choice and that their current church is generally warm and welcoming. Protestant adolescents, however, do have some reservations about and problems The majority with their churches and fellow church attendees, as spelled out in the of Protestant following pages, particularly with other teenage attendees. teenagers express relatively positive views of their churches and fellow church members.

6 National Study of Youth and Religion Introduction This report shows that religion appears to be a significant aspect of many U.S. Protestant teenagers’ lives, and that teenagers in different religious traditions in the United States reflect different levels of religiosity in their lives. These include differences between teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative, mainline, and black Protestant denominational families; differences between teens from diverse, specific Protestant denominations; and differences between Protestant teenagers and all U.S. teenagers. The goal of this report is to follow up on a book recently published on NSYR findings, Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, in order to help denominational and congregational leaders and religion scholars The goal is to and observers better understand the religious situations of Protestant help denominational adolescents in the United States. Among other outcomes, we hope this information will provide insights into what Protestant religious and congregational communities might do to improve their work with adolescents. leaders and religion scholars and Religious Participation Many, but not all, Protestant teenagers are quite active in church observers better and in other religious activities: understand the ♦ Sixty-five percent of Protestant teens report attending church at religious situations least once a month. of Protestant ♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative denominations are especially likely to regularly attend religious services. adolescents ♦ Denominational differences are also pronounced when it in the U.S. comes to other church activities, such as Sunday school. A large minority of Protestant teenagers are active in other organized religious activities: ♦ Slightly less than 50 percent of Protestant teens report current activity in a religious youth group, having ever been to a religious summer camp and having gone on a religious retreat.

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 7 ♦ Teens with parents who are affiliated with conservative denominations are especially likely to participate in these activities, while teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominations are less likely than most other Protestant teens to participate. ♦ Teens who report regularly attending religious services (at least two to three times a month) are more likely to participate in these religious activities than are teens who do not regularly attend religious services. Religious Beliefs Most Protestant teens are at least somewhat religious in their beliefs. The majority of Protestant teens appear to hold to the most basic Christian beliefs: ♦ Ninety percent say they believe in God. ♦ Forty-four percent say they feel very or extremely close to God, meaning that more than half of Protestant teens do not feel this close to God. ♦ Almost three-quarters of Protestant teens report that God is a personal being involved in the lives of people today. ♦ The majority of Protestant teens say they believe in the afterlife, angels and other religious doctrines. ♦ Regularly attending Protestant teens are especially likely to report believing in God, the afterlife, angels, demons, miracles and judgment day. There are sizable differences between denominations and groupings of denominations in belief in God and other standard religious beliefs: ♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative or black Protestant denominations are generally more likely to believe in God than are teens from mainline denominations. ♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with the Assemblies of God, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Church of God in Christ and the Southern Baptist Convention are especially likely to say they believe in the afterlife. ♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with the United Methodist Church or the Episcopal Church in the USA are less likely than most other Protestant teens to claim belief in the afterlife. ♦ These denominational differences also apply to other standard belief measures. Religious Faith and Experiences Religious faith and religious experiences appear to play an important part in the lives of many Protestant teenagers:

8 National Study of Youth and Religion ♦ Sixty percent of Protestant teens say that religious faith is very or extremely important in shaping their daily lives, 59 percent report having a prayer answered by God, 62 percent recall having had a powerful experience of worship and 69 percent say they have committed to live their life for God. ♦ Teens who regularly attend religious services report a greater importance of religious faith in their lives and are especially likely to report having religious experiences. There are substantial denominational differences in how highly teens evaluate the importance of faith in their lives: ♦ Faith plays a particularly important role in the lives of teens with parents who are affiliated with conservative and black Protestant denominations. ♦ Conservative Protestant teens are also highly likely to report having personal religious experiences. Religious Practices The moderate level of religious activity among Protestant teenagers persists outside of the purview of their churches in their personal religious devotions, as does the higher level of activity among conservative Protestant teens. A large minority of Protestant teenagers are active in personal religious devotions and other non- Teens who organized religious activities: regularly attend ♦ Sixty percent of Protestant teens say they pray alone a few religious services times a week or more, 47 percent of Protestant teens report report a greater praying with their parents in the last year and 32 percent of Protestants report reading the Bible at least once a week. importance of ♦ Protestant teens who regularly attend church are more likely religious faith in to pray and read the Bible than are teens who attend sporadi- their lives and are cally or do not attend at all. especially likely Teens from different Protestant traditions differ in their personal religious devotions: to report ♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative or black having religious Protestant denominations are more likely than mainline experiences. Protestant teens to report regularly reading the Bible and praying. Sharing Faith Protestant teens report sharing their religious faith in multiple ways: ♦ Fifty-three percent say they express religious beliefs at school some or a lot, 41 percent report publicly speaking about their religion, 54 percent say they

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 9 shared their faith with someone not of their faith and 23 percent are members of a religious group that meets at school. ♦ Regularly attending Protestant teens are somewhat more likely to share their faith in these ways than teens who do not regularly attend religious services. ♦ Conservative Protestant teens are more likely than mainline teens to share their religious faith with others. Evaluations of Church Protestant teenagers who attend church generally have positive views of their churches: ♦ Seventy-nine percent of attending Protestant teens say that church is usually warm and welcoming. Protestant teens, however, do have some problems with their churches: ♦ Twelve percent of attending Protestant teens say their church is usually boring. ♦ Only 49 percent of attending Protestant teens say that church is a good place to talk about serious issues. Regarding fellow congregation members, attending Protestant teens have mostly positive views with some reservations, particularly when it comes to other teenage members: ♦ Eighty-one percent of attending Protestant teens report that adults at their church are very or somewhat easy to talk with or get to know. ♦ On the negative side for attending Protestant teens, 7 percent report that most or all of the adults in their church are hypocrites and 12 percent say that most or all of the teens in their church are hypocrites. Protestant teenagers are generally approving of the role for teens in their churches and their parents mostly believe their churches are supportive in the raising their teens: ♦ Eighty-six percent of attending Protestant teens say there are opportunities for teen involvement in their church. ♦ If given the choice, 87 percent of attending Protestant teens say they would choose to attend the same church. ♦ When it comes to parents’ views, 62 percent of attending parents say their church has been very or extremely helpful in raising their teen and 73 percent report that ministry to teenagers is very important in their church. ♦ Mainline Protestant parents are less likely than conservative and black Protestant parents to view their congregations in such a positive light.

10 National Study of Youth and Religion Morality, Risk Behaviors and Civic Participation The NSYR survey includes a variety of other measures that allow an examination of denominational differences in, among other areas, morality, risk behaviors and civic participation. Conservative Protestant teens appear to have the clearest moral vision among Protestant teens, though they are not less likely to take part in risk behaviors: ♦ Nineteen percent of Protestant teens report sometimes being confused over right and wrong, 41 percent agree that morals are relative and 63 percent say that people should wait for marriage before having sex. ♦ Mainline and black Protestant teens are more likely than conservative teens to agree that morals are relative and less likely to say people should wait for marriage before having sex. Nineteen ♦ Conservative teens, however, are not any less likely than other percent of Protestant teens to report smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, Protestant using marijuana, cheating in school and lying to their parents. teens report The teenagers of mainline Protestant parents are often more likely than most other Protestant teens to participate in civic activities: sometimes being ♦ Mainline teens as a whole are somewhat more likely than confused over conservative and especially black Protestant teens to report right and wrong. they volunteer in the community and participate in political activities though conservative and especially black Protestant teens are more likely to say they helped the needy.

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 11 Note on Data and Methods This report is based on data from the NSYR telephone survey. The NSYR is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. under the direction of Professor Christian Smith at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is a comprehensive study of the religious lives of American teenagers. The NSYR provides a baseline, descriptive map of the religious character of adolescents in the United States. A major component of the NSYR is a telephone survey conducted from the summer of 2002 to early 2003. Random-digit-dialing (employing a sample of randomly generated telephone numbers representative of all households in the United States) and in-home randomization methods (selecting the teen in each The National household with the most recent birthday) were employed to achieve Study of Youth a random sample of Americans age thirteen to seventeen. A Spanish and Religion language version of the survey ensured that non-English speakers provides a were not overlooked. Survey questions were administered to the randomly chosen teen in the household and to one of his or her parents. baseline, The completed, unweighted survey provides data on 3,290 teenagers descriptive map and their parents, 1,988 of whom are Protestant. All analyses are of the religious weighted to correct for variations between the NSYR data and national variations in income and geographic distribution. For most meas- character of ures, the few teenagers who answered "don't know" or refused to adolescents in the answer the question were treated as "missing cases," which means United States. they are not included in the analysis. For the few measures where a large proportion of teenagers did not answer the question or where the "don't know" category is meaningful, all teenagers were included in the analysis (e.g., belief in God, views of God, and belief in judgment day). Question wording reflects the versions of the questions posed to Protestant teens. For more information on the NSYR data, see Christian Smith and Melinda Denton’s “Methodological Design and Procedures for the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR),” published in 2003 by the National Study of Youth and Religion in Chapel Hill, N.C. (available at the National

12 National Study of Youth and Religion Study of Youth and Religion web site — www.youthandreligion.org). Readers should note that answers to religion survey questions are typically subject to social desirability biases, so survey reports may overestimate actual religiosity. Normally, it is helpful to set survey answers in the context of in-depth interview data, as the NSYR did in its research, reported in Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, Oxford University Press, 2005. This report compares the religious activities and religious views of teens whose parents report affiliation with mainline Protestant, conservative Protestant, and black Protestant denominations. Parents’ religious affiliation is defined as the religious tradition, denomination, or church they most closely identify with (affiliation reflects identification with a religious group, not necessarily attendance at a specific church). The denominational categories are based on a standard categorization of Protestant denominations (see Appendix A for a list of denominations within each tradition). Note that affiliation with the black Protestant category does not necessarily mean the teen is black, but rather that his or her parent(s) affiliate with a historically black Protestant denomination. This report also focuses on the differences between Protestant teenagers whose parents affiliate with a variety of specific denominations. Specific denominations each fall under a larger religious tradition, meaning that the denominational and religious tradition categories are not mutually exclusive. Based on parents’ denominational affiliation, nine denominations provide a large enough sample of teens for reliable denominational analyses. In addition to differences between all Protestants, mainline Protestants, conservative Protestants, black Protestants, and all teenagers, differences between the following nine denominations are also highlighted (number of sampled teens in parentheses):

♦ Assemblies of God (56) ♦ Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (40) ♦ Disciples of Christ (35) ♦ Presbyterian Church (USA) (36) ♦ Episcopal Church in the USA (45) ♦ Southern Baptist Convention (311) ♦ Evangelical Lutheran Church ♦ United Methodist Church (184) in America (50) ♦ Church of God in Christ (23)

Traditionally black Protestant denominations have sample sizes too low for reliable analyses. In order to include teens whose parents are affiliated with black Baptist denominations, three historically black Baptist denominations are combined — National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., National Baptist Convention of America and National Missionary Baptist. Thirty-two teens are considered black Baptists. The black Baptist category and Church of God in Christ denomination, a traditionally black Protestant denomination, have smaller sample sizes than the other denominations included in the report. They are included, however, despite the relatively small sample sizes.

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 13 Where appropriate, teens whose parents affiliate with each denomination are compared to the regularly attending teens in the same denomination. Though not shown in the graphs, the text also refers to comparisons between all Protestant teens and Protestant teens who regularly attend church as well as between all teens in groupings of denominations, such as conservative or mainline, and teens in those groups who regularly attend church. Regular church attendance is defined as at least two to three times a month. Fifty-nine percent of Protestant teens report regular church attendance. Among the highlighted denominations, 75 percent of Assemblies of God, 66 percent of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 65 percent of Southern Baptist and 52 percent of United Methodist teens attend church regularly. For denominations with small sample sizes, comparisons between all teens and regularly attending teens are not possible. The NSYR survey data reveals distinctions in family characteristics between the denominations and between different Protestant traditions (see Appendix B for table of demographic characteristics by denomination). As a whole, families who are affiliated with mainline denominations are less likely than families who are affiliated with other Protestant denominations to have incomes below $30,000. Assemblies of God teens are particularly underrepresented in urban areas, and Southern Baptist, Missouri Synod Lutheran and Assemblies of God teens are overrepresented in rural areas. Families who are affiliated with conservative denominations are generally more likely to This report aims live in rural areas than are other Protestants. Compared to other predominately white denominations, the Southern Baptist to provide Convention has a higher percentage of black teens. religious leaders The remainder of this report focuses on teens’ accounts of their and parents with religious beliefs and actions, specifying how all Protestant teens, facts about the role teens from three broad Protestant traditions, teens from nine of religion in the Protestant denominations, black Baptist teens, unaffiliated teens and lives of Protestant all teens view various aspects of religion. Readers should keep in mind that since the majority of teens are Protestant (57 percent), the adolescents. “all teens” category is largely driven by Protestant teens. The unaffiliated category consists of teens whose parents say they do not identify with any religion. The main body of the report contains a graph for each measure of religious activity, religious belief and views of religion and church, presenting the percent of teens in each religious tradition and denomination who participate in the specified activity or hold to the religious belief in question. This report aims to lay out the religious views and activities of contemporary Protestant teens in different Protestant traditions to provide religious leaders and parents with facts about the role of religion in the lives of Protestant adolescents.

14 National Study of Youth and Religion Church Attendance Most Protestant teenagers are at least somewhat active in worship services in their churches, though less than half are highly active. Forty-five percent of Protestant teens report attending church at least once a week. Forty-one percent of all teens report attending church at least once a week, and only 9 percent of unaffiliated teens say they attend at least once a week. Church Attendance, U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

Conservative teens are more likely to Once a Week or More 1-3 Times a Month Few or Many Times a Year Never attend church regularly than are other Protestant teens. Among the highlighted AG 66 16 14 4

Protestant denominations, at least 65 per- DOC 42 18 18 21 cent of teens whose parents affiliate with the Assemblies of God, the Evangelical ECUSA 29 19 31 21 Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran ELCA 49 18 19 14 Church Missouri Synod, the Southern Baptist Convention and the Church of LCMS 47 18 20 16 God in Christ say they attend church at PCUSA 59 5 20 17 least once a month. At the low end of 20 church attendance, less than half of the SBC 53 19 19 11 teens with Episcopalian parents report attending church once a month or more. UMC 35 27 24 15

Teens whose parents affiliate with main- Blk Bapt 45 14 34 7 line denominations are more likely than other Protestant teens to say they never COGIC 48 22 26 4 attend church. Conservative 54 19 18 10

Mainline 36 22 22 20

Blk Prot 36 20 29 15

Unaffiliated 9 16 21 54

All Protestant 45 20 21 14

All Teens 41 19 23 18

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Do you attend religious services more than once or twice a year, NOT counting weddings, baptisms, and funerals? About how often do you usually attend Q religious services?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 15 Religious Youth Groups Almost half of Protestant teens (47 percent) say they are currently in a religious youth group, while only 38 percent of all teens and 12 percent of unaffiliated teens say the same. Conservative teens are more likely than mainline teens to report participation in a religious youth group, and Currently Involved in Any Religious mainline teens are more likely than black Youth Group Protestant teens to say they are in a youth U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) group.

AG 71 The differences among the specific denomi- DOC 25 nations generally follow the conservative/ ECUSA 34 mainline differences. Seventy-one percent of Assemblies of God teens, for example, report ELCA 52 youth group activity while only 25 percent LCMS 48 of Disciples of Christ and 34 percent of PCUSA 59 Episcopalian teens say they are currently in SBC 55 a youth group. UMC 50 Blk Bapt 55 Regular church attendance is associated with a greater likelihood of youth group participa- COGIC 57 tion, especially for mainline Protestants. Conservative 54 Among all mainline Protestants, 44 percent Mainline 44 Mainline 44 report being in a religious youth group and Blk Prot 35 70 percent of the regular church attendees Unaffiliated 12 say they are in a youth group. The specific All Protestant 47 mainline denominations reflect the impor- All Teens 38 tance of church attendance, with 50 percent of all United Methodist teens saying they are in a religious youth group and 77 percent of Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) the regular church-attending United Methodists reporting youth group participa- AG 76 tion. ELCA 61 SBC 69 UMC 77

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q Are you CURRENTLY involved in ANY religious youth group?

16 National Study of Youth and Religion Sunday School Slightly more than one-half of all Protestant teens (55 percent) report going to Sunday school at least a few times a month in the last year. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and black Protestant denominations are more likely than mainline Protestant teens to regularly participate in Sunday school. At the high end of Sunday school participa- Attended Sunday School a Few Times tion, more than three-quarters of teens a Month or More in the Last Year whose parents affiliate with the Assemblies U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) of God or the black Baptist denominations AG 78 report regularly attending Sunday school. DOC 38 Conversely, only 38 percent of teens whose ECUSA 23 parents are affiliated with the Disciples of ECUSA 23 Christ and 23 percent of teens whose par- ELCA 55 ents are Episcopalian report regular Sunday LCMS 52 school participation. PCUSA 63 SBC 66 Regular church attendance leads to higher UMC 48 rates of Sunday school participation for most but not all Protestant groups. For Blk Bapt 76 instance, 55 percent of teens whose parents COGIC 55 affiliate with the Evangelical Lutheran Conservative 61 Church in America say they participate in Mainline 43 Sunday school at least a few times a month Blk Prot 58 compared to 58 percent of the regularly Unaffiliated 14 attending Evangelical Lutheran Church in All Protestant 55 America teens. All Teens 47 On the other hand, the effect of regular attendance is fairly large for Southern Baptist teens, despite the fact that these Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

teens were already highly likely to attend AG 84 Sunday school regardless of church atten- ELCA 58 dance. The largest jump is among the SBC 84 United Methodist teens, with about half of all United Methodist teens and almost three- UMC 73

quarters of the regular attendees reporting Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290. going to Sunday school at least a few times a month.

In the last year, how often, if at all, have you attended a religious Sunday Q school or other religious education class?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 17 Religious Camps As with religious youth groups, almost half of all Protestant teens (47 percent) report ever having been a camper at a summer camp run by a religious organization with religious teachings or songs in its program. Teens whose parents affiliate with the Assemblies of God are again more likely than other teens to participate in this religious activity. Ever Attended a Summer Camp Run by a Religious Organization Other conservative teens, however, such as U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) those from the Southern Baptist Convention, are not necessarily more likely than most AG 78 other Protestant teens to report attending a DOC 36 religious summer camp. While conservative ECUSA 40 teens as a whole are only a little more likely ELCA 41 than mainline teens to have attended a reli- LCMS 48 gious summer camp, conservative and PCUSA 61 mainline teens are both far more likely than SBC 48 black Protestant teens to have gone to a UMC 53 religious summer camp. Blk Bapt 31 Regular church attendance increases sum- COGIC 46 mer camp participation among Protestant Conservative 53 teens, though the effect varies among the Mainline 48 different denominations and Protestant tra- Blk Prot 31 ditions. For instance, 48 percent of mainline

Unaffiliated 13 Protestant teens report summer camp activity, and 67 percent of the regularly attending All Protestant 47 mainline teens say the same. The large All Teens 39 effect of attendance for mainline Protestants is evident among the United Methodist and Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Evangelical Lutheran Church in America teens shown in the graph. Conversely, AG 92 church attendance appears to have little ELCA 58 effect on summer camp participation among SBC 57 teens whose parents affiliate with black UMC 71 Protestant denominations.

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

How many TOTAL times, if any, have you been a camper at a summer camp Q run by a religious organization with religious teachings or songs in its program?

18 National Study of Youth and Religion Religious Youth Retreats, Conferences, Rallies or Congresses Half of the Protestant teens report participating in a religious youth retreat, conference, rally or congress. Conservative teens are slightly more likely to participate than Ever Participated in a Religious Youth Retreat, are mainline teens, who are more likely to Conference, Rally or Congress participate than are teens whose parents U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) are affiliated with black Protestant denominations. AG 64 DOC 30 Assemblies of God teens are among the ECUSA 52 most likely of the selected denominations ELCA 51 to report attending a religious youth retreat, conference, rally or congress, just LCMS 49 as they are the most likely to regularly PCUSA 49 attend church and participate in Sunday SBC 55 school, youth groups and summer camps. UMC 54 Blk Bapt 36 While half of the Protestant teens say they COGIC 67 have been to a religious youth retreat, con- COGIC 67 ference, rally or congress, 62 percent of Conservative 54 the Protestant teens who regularly attend Mainline 50 church say the same. Regular church atten- Blk Prot 40 dance again has more of an effect on Unaffiliated 28 mainline and conservative teens’ religious All Protestant 50 participation than on black Protestant All Teens 44 teens’ religious participation. Among United Methodist teens, for example, 54 percent say they attended a Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) retreat and 74 percent of the regular church attendees report involvement in a AG 68 religious retreat. ELCA 53 SBC 68 UMC 74

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

How many, if any, religious youth retreats, conferences, rallies, or congresses Q have you ever participated in?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 19 Religious Music Group or Choir A large minority of Protestant teens (42 percent) report playing or singing in a religious music group or choir in the last year. Teens whose parents affiliate with black Protestant denominations, for whom choir may substitute for youth group participation, are considerably more likely than teens whose parents affiliate with conservative and mainline Protestant denominations to Played or Sung in Religious Music Group or say they were or are in a choir. Choir in the Last Year U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) This patterns is also evident among the specific denominations examined, with Church AG 22 of God in Christ and black Baptist teens DOC 39 being the most likely to report religious ECUSA 38 music group or choir participation. Teens ELCA 43 from some of the conservative denomina- LCMS 23 tions, such as the Assemblies of God and the PCUSA 39 Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, have SBC 47 particularly low rates of choir participation. UMC 41 Among most Protestant groups, the teens Blk Bapt 52 who regularly attend church are moderately COGIC 77 more likely to say they were in a choir or Conservative 39 music group; the effects of church atten- Mainline 37 dance are most pronounced for mainline Blk Prot 56 and unaffiliated teens. For instance, 41 per- Unaffiliated 24 cent of United Methodist teens report choir All Protestant 42 activity, compared to 56 percent of the regularly attending United Methodist teens. All Teens 35

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 24

ELCA 35

SBC 51 UMC 56

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q In the last year, have you played or sung in a religious music group or choir?

20 National Study of Youth and Religion Belief in God Ninety percent of Protestant teenagers report believing in God. Belief in God appears widespread among teenagers generally, with 85 percent of all teens and even 62 percent of unaffiliated teens saying they believe in God. Teenagers whose parents are affiliated with conservative or black Protestant denomina- Believe in God: Yes tions are especially likely to report belief in God. For instance, 92 percent of U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Assemblies of God teens, 96 percent of AG 92 Southern Baptist teens, 97 percent of black DOC 81 Baptist teens and 100 percent of Church of ECUSA 72 God in Christ teens report believing in ELCA 91 God. The lower levels of belief in God LCMS 83 among mainline Protestants, however, may PCUSA 75 be because mainline teens are more unsure about God, rather than denying the SBC 96 existence of God, as the next graph shows UMC 84 (see p. 22). Blk Bapt 97 COGIC 100 Protestant teens who regularly attend Conservative 92 church are somewhat more likely to report Mainline 80 belief in God though the high levels of belief among all Protestant teens does not Blk Prot 98 leave much room for increase. Among Unaffiliated 62 denominations with lower levels of belief All Protestant 90 in God, however, church attendance has a All Teens 85 larger effect. To illustrate, while 84 percent of United Methodist teens report belief in God, 99 percent of the regularly attending Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) United Methodist teens say they believe in AG 95 God. ELCA 95 SBC 98 UMC 99

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q Do you believe in God, or not, or are you unsure?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 21 Unsure About Belief in God Although very few Protestant teenagers say they do not believe in God, 8 percent say they are unsure about God. Mainline teens are more likely to express uncertainty about God than are teens whose parents affiliate with conservative or black Protestant denominations, who are highly Believe in God: Unsure likely to say they definitely believe in God (see p. 21). U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) There are relatively high levels of uncertainty AG 8 about God among some of the mainline DOC 16 denominations’ teens, such as 20 percent of ECUSA 23 the Presbyterian Church (USA) teens and 23 ELCA 9 percent of the Episcopalian teens. LCMS 13 Regular church attendance generally leads to PCUSA 20 lower levels of uncertainty about God, espe- SBC 3 cially for mainline teens. Among United UMC 16 Methodist teens, for example, 16 percent say Blk Bapt 3 they are unsure about God, while only 1 COGIC 0 percent of the regular church attendees report being unsure about God. Conservative 6 Mainline 16 Blk Prot 2

Unaffiliated 26 All Protestant 8 All Teens 12

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 5

ELCA 5

SBC 2 UMC 1

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q Do you believe in God, or not, or are you unsure?

22 National Study of Youth and Religion Views of God Almost three-quarters of Protestant teens agree that God is a personal being involved in the lives of people today, while 12 percent say God created the world but is not involved in the world now, and 11 percent say God is not personal but something like a cosmic life force. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and Views of God black Protestant denominations report U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

viewing God as a personal being involved Personal being Created the Not personal, like Don’t know involved in world, but NOT a cosmic life or none of in the lives of people at a higher rate than people’s lives today involved now force these views teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline denominations. On the other AG 78 10 6 6 hand, mainline teens are more likely than DOC 52 19 23 6 conservative and black Protestant teens to ECUSA 61 9 24 6 say God is not personal but something ELCA 75 9 14 2 like a cosmic life force. LCMS 64 16 18 2 For many Protestant groups, especially PCUSA 58 16 26 those who are less likely to say God is a SBC 75 14 9 2 personal being, regular church attendance UMC 69 13 16 2 means higher rates of viewing God as a Blk Bapt 76 14 7 3 personal being involved in the lives of COGIC 87 4 9 people today. For instance, 69 percent of Conservative 77 10 9 4 United Methodist teens and 75 percent of Mainline 64 14 19 3 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Blk Prot 73 15 9 3 teens say God is a personal being Unaffiliated 48 16 33 3 involved in the lives of people today, 12 while 88 percent of regularly attending All Protestant 73 12 11 4 United Methodist teens and 87 percent of All Teens 68 14 15 3 regularly attending Evangelical Lutheran Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Church in America teens say the same. AG 84 5 5 6

ELCA 87 5 5 3

SBC 82 12 5 1

UMC 88 6 4 2

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Which of the following views comes closest to your own view of God? God is a personal being involved in the lives of people today, or God created the world, but is NOT involved in the world now, or God is not personal, but Q something like a cosmic life force.

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 23 Closeness to God Forty-four percent of Protestant teens say they feel very or extremely close to God, which means the majority of Protestant teens do not feel close to God. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative or black Protestant denominations are generally more likely than mainline teens to report feeling close to God. Feel Very or Extremely Close to God Most Among the highlighted denominations, teens of the Time whose parents are affiliated with the black U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Baptist denominations and the Assemblies of God are particularly likely to report feeling AG 53 close to God, while less than a quarter of DOC 38 Episcopalian teens say they feel close to ECUSA 22 ECUSA 22 God. ELCA 43 LCMS 48 Teens who report regular church attendance PCUSA 45 are generally more likely to feel close to God than are all teens. For instance, 49 per- SBC 49 cent of Southern Baptist teens say they feel UMC 38 very or extremely close to God, compared to Blk Bapt 55 Blk Bapt 55 58 percent of the regularly attending COGIC 48 Southern Baptist teens. Conservative 46 Mainline 36 Blk Prot 48 Unaffiliated 18 All Protestant 44 All Teens 38

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 55

ELCA 43 SBC 58 UMC 56

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

How distant or close do you feel to God most of the time? Would you say extremely distant, very distant, somewhat distant, somewhat close, very close, Q or extremely close?

24 National Study of Youth and Religion Belief in the Afterlife The majority of Protestant teenagers report definitely believing in life after death, though a large minority (45 percent) say they do not definitely believe in life after death. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative denominations are generally more likely than black Protestant and especially mainline Protestant teens to say they believe in the afterlife. Definitely Believe in Life After Death Assemblies of God teens are more likely than most other teens to report belief in the U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) afterlife. On the other hand, teens whose AG 75 parents are affiliated with mainline denominations such as the United Methodist DOC 49 Church, the Episcopal Church and the ECUSA 35 Presbyterian Church (USA) are less likely ELCA 70 than most other Protestant teens to say they LCMS 59 definitely believe in life after death. PCUSA 43 SBC 60 Belief in the afterlife is fairly widespread SBC 60 among American teenagers, as even 37 UMC 43 percent of the unaffiliated teens report Blk Bapt 59 definitely believing in life after death. COGIC 64 Regular church attendance appears to mod- Conservative 61 erately increase belief in the afterlife, Mainline 45 though the effect varies for different Blk Prot 51 Protestant denominations. Church atten- Unaffiliated 37 dance has a large effect for some groups, All Protestant 55

such as the United Methodists, with 43 per- All Teens 50 cent reporting belief in life after death and 54 percent of the regular church attendees saying they believe in life after death. For Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) other denominations, such as the Assemblies of God and the Evangelical AG 76 Lutheran Church in America, church atten- ELCA 70 dance has little effect. SBC 65 UMC 54

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q Do you believe that there is life after death?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 25 Belief in Angels Seventy-one percent of Protestant teenagers report definitely believing in the existence of angels. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and black Protestant denominations are considerably more likely to say they believe in angels than are mainline Protestant teens. For instance, 86 percent of teens whose parents Definitely Believe in Existence of Angels are affiliated with the Assemblies of God U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) and 83 percent of teens whose parents are affiliated with black Baptist denominations AG 86 say they believe in angels. Conversely, teens DOC 50 whose parents are affiliated with the ECUSA 46 Episcopal Church, the Disciples of Christ ELCA 63 and the United Methodist Church are less LCMS 70 likely than most other Protestant teens to say PCUSA 56 they definitely believe angels. SBC 79 Regular church attendance seems to increase UMC 54 belief in angels, predominantly in denomi- Blk Bapt 83 nations with lower levels of belief in angels, COGIC 74 such as the United Methodist Church. Conservative 77 Mainline 54 Blk Prot 75 Unaffiliated 39 All Protestant 71 All Teens 63

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 87 ELCA 63 SBC 86 UMC 68

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q Do you believe in the existence of angels?

26 National Study of Youth and Religion Belief in Miracles Sixty-nine percent of Protestant teens report definitely believing in the possibility of divine miracles from God. There are substantial differences between denominations, with teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and black Protestant denominations generally being more likely to believe in miracles. Definitely Believe in the Possibility of Miracles Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and black Protestant denomi- U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) nations such as the Assemblies of God, the AG 75 Southern Baptist Convention, the Church DOC 50 of God in Christ and black Baptist denomi- ECUSA 48 nations report higher than average levels of ELCA 78 belief in miracles, each with well over 70 LCMS 59 percent saying they believe in miracles. PCUSA 64 Teens whose parents are affiliated with the PCUSA 64 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a SBC 74 mainline denomination, are also highly UMC 51 likely to report believing in miracles. Blk Bapt 82 Disciples of Christ teens, Episcopalian COGIC 86 teens and United Methodist teens report Conservative 75 lower than average levels of belief in mira- Mainline 54 cles, each with about 50 percent saying Blk Prot 76 they definitely believe in the possibility of Unaffiliated 35 divine miracles from God. All Protestant 69 Regular church attendance generally All Teens 61 increases conservative and mainline Protestant teens’ likelihood of believing in miracles (Assemblies of God teens are an Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) exception), but it has little or no effect on AG 71 black Protestant teens’ belief in miracles. ELCA 87 SBC 83 UMC 64

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q Do you believe in the possibility of divine miracles from God?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 27 Belief in Judgment Day Four out of five Protestant teens agree that there will come a judgment day when God will reward some and punish others. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and black Protestant denominations are far more likely than mainline teens to report believing in judgment day.

Believe in Judgment Day Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist, black Baptist and Church of God in Christ teens U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) report higher than average levels of belief in judgment day. Episcopalian, Evangelical AG 92 Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian DOC 68 Church (USA) and United Methodist teens ECUSAECUSA 60 60 report lower than average levels of belief in ELCA 59 judgment day. LCMSLCMS 7272 Regular church attendance is associated with PCUSA 53 a greater likelihood of believing in judgment SBC 88 day, even for the denominations where a UMC 64 high proportion of teens already believe in Blk Bapt 90 judgment day. For instance, 92 percent of all COGIC 91 Assemblies of God teens agree that there Conservative 86 will come a judgment day when God will Mainline 61 reward some and punish others, and 100 Blk Prot 88 percent of the regularly attending Assemblies Unaffiliated 49 of God teens say the same. All Protestant 80 All Teens 73

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 100

ELCA 76 SBC 92 UMC 76

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Do you believe that there will come a judgment day when God will reward Q some and punish others, or not?

28 National Study of Youth and Religion Importance of Faith Religious faith plays an important role in the lives of the majority of Protestant teenagers. Sixty percent of Protestant teens say faith is very or extremely important in shaping how they live their daily lives. This of course leaves 40 percent who do not think faith plays a very important role in their daily lives. Teens whose parents Faith Is Very or Extremely Important are affiliated with conservative and black in Shaping Daily Life Protestant denominations are especially U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) likely to say faith is important in shaping AG 77 their daily lives. DOC 47 For instance, 72 percent of Southern ECUSA 40 Baptist teens, 77 percent of Assemblies of ELCA 61 God teens, 76 percent of black Baptist LCMS 54 teens and 91 percent of Church of God in PCUSA 55 Christ teens say faith is important in shap- SBC 72 ing their daily lives. Less than half of the teens from some mainline Protestant UMC 45 denominations, such as the United Blk Bapt 76 Methodist Church and the Episcopal COGIC 91 Church, say faith is very or extremely Conservative 64 important in shaping their daily lives. Mainline 43 Church attendance tends to increase Blk Prot 69 feelings that faith is very or extremely Unaffiliated 23 important in shaping how teens live their All Protestant 60 daily lives, especially for mainline All Teens 51 Protestants. For instance, 61 percent of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America teens say faith is important in shaping their Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) daily lives though 71 percent of the AG 84 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ELCA 71 teens who regularly attend church report that faith is important in shaping their SBC 83 daily lives. UMC 63

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

How important or unimportant is religious faith in shaping how you live your Q daily life?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 29 Committed to Live Life for God About seven in 10 Protestant teens report that they have made a personal commitment to live their lives for God, while only 27 percent of the unaffiliated teens report having made such a commitment. There are large denominational differences in reporting a personal commitment to live Made a Personal Commitment to Live life for God, with conservative Protestant Life for God teens being more likely than black Protestant U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) and especially more likely than mainline Protestant teens to make a commitment to AG 88 live life for God. For instance, 88 percent of DOC 53 Assemblies of God teens and 80 percent of ECUSA 32 Southern Baptist teens say they made a com- ELCA 56 mitment to live their lives for God, while LCMS 52 only 32 percent of Episcopalian teens say PCUSA 56 the same. SBC 80 Church attendance increases the likelihood UMC 59 of committing to live life for God, again Blk Bapt 79 especially for mainline Protestants. Among COGIC 71 mainline Protestant teens as a whole, 50 Conservative 77 percent report making a commitment to live Mainline 50 their lives for God, and 70 percent of the Blk Prot 72 regular church attendees say they committed Unaffiliated 27 to live their lives for God. All Protestant 69 Not all mainline denominations, however, All Teens 56 are equally affected by church attendance. For instance, the effects of church attendance on commitment to live life for God Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) are sizable for United Methodist teens but not very large for Evangelical Lutheran AG 92 Church in America teens. ELCA 60 SBC 91 UMC 79

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q Have you ever made a personal commitment to live your life for God?

30 National Study of Youth and Religion Reading the Bible About one-third of Protestant teens (32 percent) report reading the Bible by themselves once a week or more. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and black Protestant denominations are more likely than teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline denominations to report reading the Bible at least once a Read the Bible Alone Once a Week or More week. Well over 40 percent of Assemblies of God U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) and Church of God in Christ teens say they AG 44 read the Bible alone at least once a week DOC 22 while only 22 percent of Disciples of ECUSA 8 Christ and 8 percent of Episcopalian teens ELCA 14 say they read the Bible alone at least once LCMS 17 a week. PCUSA 30 Regular church attendance increases the SBC 39 likelihood of reading the Bible alone for UMC 23

mainline and conservative Protestant teens, Blk Bapt 38 but it has little or no effect for black COGIC 48 Protestant teens. Among United Methodist Conservative 37 teens, for example, 23 percent report read- Mainline 20 ing the Bible alone once a week or more, and 34 percent of the regular attendees Blk Prot 36 report reading the Bible alone at least once Unaffiliated 13 a week. Similarly, 39 percent of Southern All Protestant 32 Baptist teens say they read the Bible alone All Teens 26 at least once a week, and 48 percent of the regularly attending Southern Baptist teens say the same. Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 45

ELCA 19 SBC 48

UMC 34

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q How often, if ever, do you read from the Bible to yourself alone?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 31 Prayer Sixty percent of Protestant teens report praying alone at least a few times a week while only 29 percent of unaffiliated teens report praying alone a few times a week or more. Although Protestant teens report regular prayer far more often than unaffiliated teens, fully 40 percent of Protestant teens say they do not pray alone Pray Alone a Few Times a Week or More at least a few times a week. U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Teens whose parents are affiliated with AG 73 conservative and black Protestant denomi- DOC 31 nations are considerably more likely than ECUSA 45 teens whose parents are affiliated with ELCA 57 mainline denominations to pray alone at least a few times a week. Among the high- LCMS 52 lighted denominations, 73 percent of PCUSA 54 Assemblies of God teens, 75 percent of SBC 67 black Baptist teens and 78 percent of UMC 42 Church of God in Christ teens report pray- Blk Bapt 75 ing a few times a week or more. When it COGIC 78 comes to mainline denominations, only 42 Conservative 64 percent of the United Methodist teens and Mainline 46 31 percent of the Disciples of Christ teens Blk Prot 67 say they pray at least a few times a week. Unaffiliated 29 Regular church attendance tends to All Protestant 60 increase reporting praying alone at least a All Teens 53 few times a week, though once more the effect of church attendance is more pronounced for mainline teens. Church atten- Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) dance has little effect on reporting praying alone for Assemblies of God teens and AG 74 only a moderate effect for Southern Baptist ELCA 68 teens, though it has a strong effect for SBC 75 United Methodist teens. UMC 56

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q How often, if ever, do you pray by yourself alone?

32 National Study of Youth and Religion Prayer with Parents Almost half of all Protestant teens (47 percent) report praying with their parents other than at mealtimes during the last year, leaving a slight majority who did not pray with their parents. Protestant teenagers do not differ much from all teenagers in their likelihood of praying with their parents. Prayed with Parents Other Than at Denominational differences are quite Mealtimes in the Last Year pronounced, with teens whose parents are U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) affiliated with mainline denominations AG 63 being far less likely to report praying with DOC 33 their parents than teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative or black ECUSA 35 Protestant denominations. More than 60 ELCA 32 percent of the Assemblies of God, black LCMS 46 Baptist and Church of God in Christ teens PCUSA 33 remember praying with their parents in the SBC 56 last year, compared to 35 percent or less UMC 34 of the Episcopalian, Disciples of Christ, Blk Bapt 62 Presbyterian Church (USA) and United COGIC 70 Methodist teens. Conservative 51 Regular church attendance appears to Mainline 32 moderately increase praying with parents Blk Prot 53 for three of the four mainline and conser- Unaffiliated 19 vative highlighted denominations com- All Protestant 47 pared in the figure. All Teens 42

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 63

ELCA 37 SBC 64

UMC 44

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

In the last year, have you prayed out loud or silently together with one or both Q of your parents, other than at mealtimes or at religious services?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 33 Prayer Answered or Guidance from God Fifty-nine percent of Protestant teens say they experienced a definite answer to prayer or specific guidance from God. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative Protestant denominations are more likely than most other Protestant teens to report having a prayer answered by God Ever Experienced a Definite Answer to or receiving guidance from God. Prayer or Specific Guidance from God Teens whose parents are affiliated with cer- U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) tain black Protestant denominations, howev- AG 57 er, are also highly likely to report having a DOC 44 prayer answered, such as 76 percent of the ECUSA 32 black Baptist teens. On the other hand, only ELCA 56 32 percent of Episcopalian teens say they LCMS 46 definitely had a prayer answered or received guidance from God. PCUSA 59 SBC 66 Church attendance increases the likelihood UMC 49 of reporting having a prayer answered, espe- Blk Bapt 76 cially for mainline Protestant teens. For

COGIC 55 instance, 49 percent of United Methodist teens say they experienced a definite answer Conservative 65 to prayer or specific guidance from God Mainline 46 Mainline 46 though 71 percent of the regularly attending Blk Prot 60 United Methodist teens say the same. Unaffiliated 24 All Protestant 59 All Teens 51

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 61

ELCA 62 SBC 74 UMC 71

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Have you ever experienced a definite answer to prayer or specific guidance Q from God?

34 National Study of Youth and Religion Experience of Spiritual Worship Sixty-two percent of Protestant teens say they had an experience of spiritual worship that was very moving and powerful, leaving over one-third who have not had a powerful worship experience. In general, conservative teens are more likely than both mainline and black Protestant teens to report having an experience of spiritual Ever Had an Experience of Spiritual Worship worship that was very moving and power- that Was Very Moving and Powerful ful, though not every denomination follows U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) this pattern. AG 76 Assemblies of God teenagers are more DOC 33 likely than most teens to report having had ECUSA 50 a powerful worship experience, while ELCA 79 Disciples of Christ teens are less likely than LCMS 46 most other Protestant teens to say they had PCUSA 70 an experience of spiritual worship that was SBC 70 very moving and powerful. Presbyterian Church (USA) and Evangelical Lutheran UMC 55 Church in America teens, however, Blk Bapt 63 resemble conservative teens by being more COGIC 68 likely than most other teens to report hav- Conservative 69 ing a powerful worship experience. Mainline 55 Blk Prot 55 Church attendance increases the likelihood of reporting experiences of spiritual wor- Unaffiliated 21 ship, again for the mainline teens more All Protestant 62 than the other Protestant teens. For All Teens 52 instance, while only 55 percent of United Methodist teens say they had an experience of spiritual worship that was very Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) moving and powerful, 74 percent of the AG 82 regularly attending United Methodist teens say they had a powerful worship experi- ELCA 84 ence. SBC 80 UMC 74

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Have you ever had an experience of spiritual worship that was very moving Q and powerful?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 35 Religious Group at School Almost a quarter of Protestant teens (23 percent) report participating in a religious support or evangelism or prayer group that meets at school in last year, leaving over three-quarters of Protestant teens who do not participate in school-based religious groups. Participated in a Religious Group that Meets Teens whose parents are affiliated with con- at School in the Last Year servative Protestant denominations are mod- U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) erately more likely than teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline or black AG 39 Protestant denominations to say they were in DOC 8 a religious group at school in the last year. ECUSA 18 For instance, 39 percent of Assemblies of ELCA 12 God teens and 31 percent of Southern LCMS 8 Baptist teens report school-based religious PCUSA 21 group activity, compared to 12 percent of SBC 31 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America UMC 22 teens, 8 percent of Disciples of Christ teens, Blk Bapt 15 15 percent of black Baptist teens and 14 COGIC 14 percent of Church of God in Christ teens. Conservative 26 Church attendance appears to moderately Mainline 19 increase activity in religious groups at school Blk Prot 18 for mainline and conservative teens. Unaffiliated 8 All Protestant 23 All Teens 18

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 46 ELCA 16 SBC 36

UMC 27

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

In the last year, have you been a part of a religious support or evangelism or Q prayer group that meets at school?

36 National Study of Youth and Religion Express Religious Beliefs at School Slightly over one-half of all Protestant teens (53 percent) report expressing their religious beliefs at school some or a lot, which suggests that almost one-half of Protestant teens do not talk about their religious viewpoints at school. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and black Protestant denominations Express Religious Beliefs at School are more likely than teens whose parents Some or A Lot are affiliated with mainline denominations U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) to say they express religious beliefs at AG 60 school some or a lot. DOC 23 About 60 percent of Assemblies of God ECUSA 27 teens, Southern Baptist teens and black ELCA 41 Baptist teens say they express religious LCMS 47 beliefs at school, and almost three-quarters PCUSA 86 of Church of God in Christ teens report SBC 59 expressing religious beliefs at school. On the other hand, only 23 percent of UMC 41 Disciples of Christ teens and 27 percent of Blk Bapt 58 Episcopalian teens say they express reli- COGIC 74 gious beliefs at school some or a lot. Conservative 56 Presbyterian Church (USA) teens differ Mainline 42 from most other mainline teens, with 86 Blk Prot 57

percent reporting expressing religious Unaffiliated 40 beliefs at school some or a lot. All Protestant 53 Regular church attendance moderately All Teens 48 increases the likelihood of expressing religious beliefs at school for mainline teens, but it has little effect for conserva- Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

tive and black Protestant teens. AG 57

ELCA 51

SBC 62 UMC 50

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q How much, if at all, do you openly express your religious beliefs at school?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 37 Family Talks About Religious Things A little over half of all Protestant teens (53 percent) report that their families talk about God, the scriptures, prayer or other religious or spiritual things together once a week or more, leaving almost half of Protestant teens who do not regularly discuss spiritual things with their families. Protestant Family Talks About Religious Things teens are, however, far more likely than Once a Week or More unaffiliated teens to discuss religious or spiritual matters with their families. U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 84 Teens whose parents are affiliated with con- DOC 42 servative and black Protestant denominations

ECUSA 27 are about twice as likely as teens whose par- ELCAELCA 39 39 ents are affiliated with mainline denominations to report talking about spiritual things LCMS 48 with their families. For instance, 84 percent PCUSA 36 of Assemblies of God teens and 76 percent SBC 61 of black Baptist teens say they talk about UMC 31 spiritual things with their families at least Blk Bapt 76 once a week, compared to only 31 percent COGIC 70 of United Methodist teens. Conservative 59 Church attendance tends to increase the like- Mainline 30 lihood of discussing spiritual things with Blk Prot 66 one’s family. While 53 percent of Protestant Unaffiliated 16 teens report discussing spiritual things with All Protestant 53 their families once a week or more, 66 per- All Teens 45 cent of regularly attending Protestant teens say the same. Among the highlighted denominations, the effect of church atten- Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) dance is fairly strong for Southern Baptist and United Methodists teens but only mod- AG 90 erate for Evangelical Lutheran Church in ELCA 43 ELCA 43 America and Assemblies of God teens. SBC 71

UMC 42

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

How often, if ever, does your family talk about God, the scriptures, prayer, or Q other religious or spiritual things together?

38 National Study of Youth and Religion Publicly Spoken About Faith in Religious Service or Meeting Less than half of all Protestant teens (41 percent) say they publicly spoke about their faith in a religious service or meeting in the last year. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative denomina- Publicly Spoken About Faith in Religious tions are more likely to report speaking Service in the Last Year about faith in a religious service than are teens whose parents are affiliated with U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) mainline or black Protestant denomina- AG 59 tions. For instance, 59 percent of DOC 27 Assemblies of God teens say they spoke ECUSA 32 about their faith in a religious meeting in ELCA 37 the last year, compared to 33 percent of LCMS 51 black Baptist teens, 32 percent of PCUSA 32 Episcopalian and Presbyterian Church SBC 45 (USA) teens and 27 percent of Disciples of SBC 45 Christ teens. UMC 37 Blk Bapt 33 Regular church attendance only slightly COGIC 50 increases the likelihood of speaking pub- Conservative 45 licly about faith for most conservative Mainline 34 teens, but it moderately increases the like- Blk Prot ` 36 lihood for most mainline teens. Thirty- Blk Prot 36 seven percent of all United Methodists Unaffiliated 24 and 49 percent of the regularly attending All Protestant 41 United Methodists, for example, say they All Teens 36 spoke about their faith in religious services or meetings, yet the effect of church attendance is small and inconsistent for Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Evangelical Lutheran Church in America AG 63 and Southern Baptist teens. ELCA 32 SBC 50 UMC 49

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

In the last year, have you publicly spoken about your faith in a religious Q service or meeting?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 39 Shared Faith with Person not of their Faith A slight majority of Protestant teens (54 percent) report having shared their religious faith with someone not of their faith in the last year. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and mainline denominations are more likely than teens whose parents are affiliated with Shared Faith with Person not of their black Protestant denominations to report Faith in the Last Year sharing their faith. U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Seventy-seven percent of the Missouri AG 55 Synod Lutheran teens, 67 percent of the DOC 42 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ECUSA 47 teens and 65 percent of the Presbyterian ELCA 67 Church (USA) teens report sharing their religious faith with someone, compared to LCMS 77 only 41 percent of the black Baptist teens. PCUSA 65 SBC 56 Regular church attendance appears to UMC 43 slightly increase the likelihood of sharing Blk Bapt 41 faith with someone for most Protestant COGIC 52 teens though it slightly decreases the likelihood of sharing faith for Evangelical Conservative 59 Lutheran Church in America teens. Mainline 54 Blk Prot 45 Unaffiliated 43 All Protestant 54 All Teens 53

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 63

ELCA 62 SBCSBC 59 59

UMC 50

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

In the last year, have you shared your own religious faith with someone else Q not of your faith?

40 National Study of Youth and Religion Church Is Usually Warm and Welcoming Seventy-nine percent of Protestant teens who report attending religious services more than a few times a year (not counting weddings, baptisms, funerals and youth group meetings) say their churches usually feel warm and welcoming for them. Note that this measure, and most other measures of how teens evaluate Church Usually Feels Warm and Welcoming their churches, was only asked of teens who report attending church (or syna- U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) gogue, temple, mosque, etc.) more than a AG 83 few times a year. DOC 81 Apparently, most teens who attend reli- ECUSA 69 gious services more than a few times a ELCA 91

year feel that their congregations are LCMS 84 warm and welcoming; even 74 percent of PCUSA 93 teens with unaffiliated parents say so. SBC 81 There is not much difference between UMC 78 teens in the different Protestant traditions in viewing their churches as warm and Blk Bapt 89 welcoming. Among the specific denomi- COGIC 71 nations, however, there is some variation. Conservative 79 For instance, while 93 percent of Mainline 82 Presbyterian Church (USA) teens and 91 Blk Prot 75 percent of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Unaffiliated 74 America teens report that their churches All Protestant 79 usually feel warm and welcoming, only All Teens 75 69 percent of teens whose parents are Episcopalian say the same. Protestant teens who regularly attend Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

church (at least two or three times a AG 87 month) are slightly more likely than other ELCA 89 Protestant teens to say that their churches SBC 82 are usually warm and welcoming. SBC 82 UMC 80

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.

Does your church feel like a warm and welcoming place for you, usually, Q sometimes, rarely, or never?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 41 Church Is Usually Boring Twelve percent of Protestant teens who attend religious services more than a few times a year say that church is usually boring. The differences between Protestant traditions are not too large, though teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative Protestant denominations are somewhat less likely than teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline and black Protestant Church Is Usually Boring denominations to report that church is usually boring. U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) At the high end among the specific denomi- AG 13 nations, 24 percent of United Methodist DOC 5 teens say that church is usually boring. At ECUSA 8 the low end, only 5 percent of Disciples of ELCA 11 Christ teens report that their churches are LCMS 9 usually boring. PCUSA 10 Protestant teens who regularly attend church SBC 9 are slightly less likely than other Protestant UMC 24 teens to report that their churches are usually Blk Bapt 7 boring. For instance, while 24 percent of COGIC 14 United Methodist teens say their churches Conservative 11 are boring, 18 percent of the regularly Mainline 15 attending United Methodist teens say their Blk Prot 14 churches are boring. Unaffiliated 24 All Protestant 12 All Teens 15

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 11

ELCA 13 SBC 8

UMC 18

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.

Q Is your church boring to you, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never?

42 National Study of Youth and Religion Church Usually Makes Teen Think About Important Things About two-thirds (65 percent) of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times a year say that church usually makes them think about important things, leaving over a third of Protestant teens who do not think that church usually makes them Church Usually Makes Teen Think About think about important things. Important Things U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) On the whole, teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative denominations AG 85 are somewhat more likely than most other DOC 62 Protestant teens to report that church usually ECUSA 46 makes them think about important things. ELCA 69 Among the highlighted denominations, LCMS 67 Assemblies of God and Presbyterian Church PCUSA 83 (USA) teens who attend church more than a SBC 64 few times a year are the most likely to say UMC 55 that church usually makes them think about Blk Bapt 59 important things, each with over 80 percent. COGIC 65 On the other hand, less than one-half of Episcopalian teens who attend church more Conservative 69 than a few times a year (46 percent) say that Mainline 60 church usually makes them think about Blk Prot 63 important things. Unaffiliated 46 All Protestant 65 The effect of regular church attendance on All Teens 63 teens saying that church usually makes them think about important things varies between denominations. While United Methodist Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) teens who regularly attend church are moderately more likely than other United AG 87 Methodist teens to say church usually makes ELCA 65

them think about important things, SBC 67 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America UMC 64 teens who regularly attend church are slightly less likely than all Evangelical Lutheran Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223. Church in America teens who attend more than a few times a year to say that church makes them think about important things.

Does your church make you think about important things, usually, sometimes, Q rarely or never?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 43 Church Is a Very Good Place to Talk About Serious Issues Only one-half of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times a year (49 percent) say church is a very good place to talk about serious issues like family problems, alcohol or troubles at school. Church Is a Very Good Place to Talk About Teens whose parents are affiliated with black Serious Issues Protestant and especially conservative U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Protestant denominations are generally more AG 57 likely than teens whose parents are affiliated DOC 43 with mainline denominations to say that ECUSA 31 church is a very good place to talk about ELCA 49 serious issues. LCMS 39 Among the specific denominations, 65 per- PCUSA 48 cent of Church of God in Christ teens and SBC 57 57 percent of both Assemblies of God and UMC 34 Southern Baptist teens say that church is a Blk Bapt 37 very good place to talk about serious issues, while only 31 percent of Episcopalian and COGIC 65 34 percent of United Methodist teens agree Conservative 53 that church is a very good place to talk Mainline 39 Mainline 39 about serious issues. Blk Prot 49 Unaffiliated 34 Regular church attendance slightly increases All Protestant 49 the chances of teens saying that church is a very good place to talk about serious issues All Teens 45 like family problems, alcohol or troubles at school. Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 58

ELCA 55 SBC 60

UMC 37

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.

How good or not good a place is your church to go if you wanted to talk Q about serious issues like family problems, alcohol or troubles at school?

44 National Study of Youth and Religion Adults in Teen’s Church Are Somewhat or Very Easy to Talk with and Get to Know Eighty-one percent of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times a year report that adults in their churches are somewhat or very easy to talk with and get to know. There is little variation Adults at Church Are Somewhat or Very Easy between the Protestant traditions in teens’ to Talk with and Get to Know likelihood of saying that adults in their churches are somewhat or very easy to talk U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) with and get to know. AG 81 There are, however, differences between DOC 82 the specific denominations. At the high ECUSA 58 end, 93 percent of Presbyterian Church ELCA 82 (USA) teens report that adults in their LCMS 67 churches are easy to talk with and get to PCUSA 93 know. At the low end, only 58 percent of SBC 86 Episcopalian teens say that adults in their UMC 83 churches are somewhat or very easy to talk Blk Bapt 78 with and get to know. COGIC 62 Protestant teens who regularly attend Conservative 81 church are generally not any more likely Mainline 82 than other Protestant teens to report that Blk Prot 80 adults in their churches are somewhat or Unaffiliated 91 very easy to talk with and get to know. All Protestant 81 All Teens 80

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 82 ELCA 79 SBC 86 UMC 87

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.

When you think about most of the adults in your church, how easy or hard are Q they to talk with and get to know?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 45 Adults in Congregation Are Hypocrites Seven percent of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times a year say they think of most or all adults in their congregations as hypocrites. On the whole, teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominations are somewhat more likely than teens Most or All Adults in Congregation Are whose parents are affiliated with conserva- Hypocrites tive and mainline denominations to report U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) that most or all adults in their congrega- AG 9 tions are hypocrites. DOC 5 Among the highlighted denominations, 15 ECUSA 35 percent of black Baptist teens and 35 per- ELCA 2 cent of Episcopalian teens who attend LCMS 9 church more than a few times a year say

PCUSA 0 that most or all adults in their congregations are hypocrites while only 2 percent SBC 7 of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in UMC 8 America teens and none of the Blk Bapt 15 Presbyterian Church (USA) teens in the COGIC 5 NSYR sample agree that most or all adults Conservative 6 in their congregations are hypocrites. Mainline 7 Regular church attendance has little effect Blk Prot 10 on reporting that most or all adults in the Unaffiliated 8 teens’ congregations are hypocrites. All Protestant 7 All Teens 7

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 6 ELCA 3 SBC 6

UMC 9

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.

About how many, if any, of the adults in your church do you tend to think of Q as hypocrites?

46 National Study of Youth and Religion Teens in Congregation Are Hypocrites Twelve percent of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times a year say they think of most or all teens in their congregations as hypocrites. In general, teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominations are somewhat more likely than teens whose parents are affiliated with conserva- Most or All Teens in Congregation Are tive denominations to report that most or Hypocrites all teens in their congregations are U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) hypocrites. AG 9 There are also sizable differences between DOC 5 the specific denominations. None of the ECUSA 28 Presbyterian Church (USA) teens in the ELCA 7 NSYR sample say that most or all teens in LCMS 6 their churches are hypocrites, just as none PCUSA 0 of them reported that adults in their SBC 12 churches are hypocrites. On the other UMC 17 hand, 28 percent of teens whose parents are Episcopalian say they think of most Blk Bapt 15 or all teens in their congregations as COGIC 5 hypocrites. Conservative 10 Mainline 12 Similar to viewing adults as hypocrites, Blk Prot 15 regular church attendance has little effect Unaffiliated 15 on whether teens view other teens in the church as hypocrites. All Protestant 12 All Teens 11

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 11

ELCA 8

SBC 13

UMC 17

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.

About how many, if any, of the teenagers in your church do you tend to think Q of as hypocrites?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 47 Opportunities for Teen Involvement in Church Eighty-six percent of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times a year say there are regular opportunities in their churches for teenagers to get involved in religious services, such as read- Regular Opportunities for Teens to Be ing scripture or praying out loud. Most Involved in Religious Services teenagers who attend church more than a U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) few times a year agree that there are regular AG 85 opportunities for teen involvement in their DOC 80 churches, with 84 percent of all teens

ECUSAECUSA 96 96 agreeing and even 74 percent of teens with unaffiliated parents agreeing. ELCAELCA 84 84 LCMSLCMS 7979 There is little variation among the Protestant PCUSAPCUSA 86 86 traditions in teens’ views that there are SBCSBC 88 88 opportunities for teen involvement in UMC 80 church. Among the specific denominations, BlkBlk BaptBapt 81 81 at the high end 96 percent of teens whose parents are Episcopalian say that there are COGIC 91 regular opportunities in their churches for Conservative 86 teenagers to get involved in religious services Mainline 84 while at the low end, 79 percent of Missouri BlkBlk ProtProt 86 86 Synod Lutheran teens say the same. Unaffiliated 74 Regular church attendance has almost no All Protestant 86 effect on a Protestant teen’s likelihood of All Teens 84 saying that there are opportunities in his or her church for teenagers to get involved in religious services, such as reading scripture Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) or praying out loud. AG 84 ELCAELCA 87 87

SBC 87 UMC 81

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.

Are there any regular opportunities in your church for teenagers to get involved Q in religious services, such as reading scripture or praying out loud?

48 National Study of Youth and Religion Would Attend the Same Church Eighty-seven percent of Protestant teens who attend religious services more than once or twice a year report that they would go to the same church if it were totally up to them, rather than go to a different church or not go to church at all. Teens in general appear fairly satisfied with their congregations in this sense, with 84 percent of all teens who attend religious services Would Go to the Same Church if it Were more than once or twice a year saying they Totally up to Teen would go to the same congregation if it were totally up to them. U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) AG 90 Teens whose parents are affiliated with con- DOC 81 servative denominations are somewhat more likely than teens whose parents are ECUSA 82 affiliated with mainline denominations to ELCA 94 say they would like to attend the same LCMS 95 church if it were up to them. Among the PCUSA 67 highlighted denominations, 90 percent or SBC 90 more of teens whose parents are affiliated UMC 83 with the Assemblies of God, the Evangelical Blk Bapt 85 Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran COGIC 91 Church Missouri Synod, the Southern Conservative 88 Baptist Convention and the Church of God Mainline 84 in Christ report that they would go to the same church if it were totally up to them. Blk Prot 87 Conversely, only 67 percent of all Unaffiliated 74 Presbyterian Church (USA) teens say they All Protestant 87 would go to the same church if it were All Teens 84 totally up to them. For most, though not all, Protestant denomi- Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) nations, regular church attendance has little effect on teens saying that they would go to AG 90 the same church if it were totally up to ELCA 95 them. For United Methodist teens, however, SBC 92 regular church attendance does lead them UMC 89 to be somewhat more likely to report that they would like to attend the same church if Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223. given the choice.

If it were totally up to you, would you go to the same church that you go to now, a different religious congregation, or would you not go to religious Q services at all?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 49 Parent’s View that Church Has Been Very or Extremely Helpful in Raising their Teen Sixty-two percent of Protestant parents who attend church at least a few times a year say that their churches have been very or extremely supportive and helpful for them as parents trying to raise their teens. This, of Church Has Been Very or Extremely Helpful course, means that over a third of Protestant for Parent Trying to Raise Teen parents who attend church at least a few Parents of U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) times a year think that their churches have AG 79 not been helpful in raising their teens. DOC 74 Parents who are affiliated with conservative ECUSA 47 and black Protestant traditions are consider- ELCA 54 ably more likely than mainline parents to LCMS 52 report that their churches have been very or PCUSA 50 extremely helpful in raising their teens. SBC 66 Seventy percent or more of Assemblies of UMC 49 God, Disciples of Christ, black Baptist and Blk Bapt 70 Church of God in Christ parents who attend church at least a few times a year say that COGIC 73 their churches have been very or extremely Conservative 65 helpful in raising their teens. Conversely, 50 Mainline 51 percent or less of Episcopalian, Presbyterian Blk Prot 67 Church (USA) and United Methodist parents Unaffiliated NA who attend church at least a few times a All Protestant 62 year report that their churches have been All Teens 57 very or extremely helpful in raising their teens.

Parents of Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Protestant parents, particularly mainline parents, with teens who regularly attend church AG 76 are often more likely than other Protestant ELCA 57 parents to report that their churches have

SBC 69 been very or extremely supportive and helpful for them as parents trying to raise their UMC 63 teens. In other words, if the teen does not Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,845. participate in church much, then the parents are less likely to see the church as helpful.

How supportive and helpful would you say your church has been for you as a Q parent trying to raise [teen’s name]?

50 National Study of Youth and Religion Parent’s View that Ministry to Teens Is a Very Important Priority in their Church Almost three-quarters of Protestant parents who attend church at least a few times a year (73 percent) say that ministry to teens is a very important priority in their Ministry to Teens Is a Very Important Priority churches, suggesting that over a quarter of in Parent’s Church Protestant parents feel that their churches Parents of U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) are not placing a high priority on ministry to teens. Parents who are affiliated with AG 86 conservative and especially black DOC 70 Protestant denominations are generally far ECUSA 41 more likely than mainline parents to ELCA 57

report that ministry to teens is very LCMS 42 important in their churches. PCUSA 62 Eighty percent or more of Assemblies of SBC 80 God, Southern Baptist, black Baptist and UMC 58 Church if God in Christ parents who Blk Bapt 82 attend church at least a few times a year COGIC 91 say that ministry to teens is a very Conservative 76 important priority in their churches. On Mainline 58 the other hand, only 41 percent of Blk Prot 80 Episcopalian parents and 42 percent of Missouri Synod Lutheran parents report Unaffiliated NA that ministry to teens is a very important All Protestant 73 priority in their churches. All Teens 66 Teens’ church attendance appears to have little effect on their parents’ view that Parents of Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) ministry to teens is a very important priority in their churches. AG 87 ELCA 54 SBC 79

UMC 62

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,845.

Would you say that at your church, ministry to teenagers is a very important priority, a fairly important priority, a somewhat important priority, a low priori- Q ty, or not a priority at all?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 51 Moral Relativism Forty-one percent of Protestant teenagers say they agree that morals are relative, that there are no definite rights and wrongs for everybody. Half of all teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline denominations agree that morals are relative, while 37 percent of teens whose parents are affili- Agree that Morals Are Relative, that there Are ated with conservative denominations and No Definite Rights and Wrongs for Everybody 36 percent of teens whose parents are affili- U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) ated with black Protestant denominations agree that morals are relative. AG 24 DOC 52 With 66 percent agreeing that morals are rel- ECUSA 54 ative, unaffiliated teens are more likely than ELCA 52 Protestant teens to be moral relativists. Among the specific denominations, only 17 LCMS 50 percent of Church of God in Christ and 24 PCUSA 49 percent of Assemblies of God teens agree SBC 41 that morals are relative while at least half of UMC 52 all Disciples of Christ, Episcopalian, Blk Bapt 43 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, COGIC 17 Missouri Synod Lutheran and United Conservative 37 Methodist teens agree that morals are Mainline 50 relative. Blk Prot 36 Blk Prot 36 Regular church-attending Protestants are Unaffiliated 66 somewhat less likely than all Protestant teens All Protestant 41 to agree that morals are relative. All Teens 45

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 21 ELCA 43

SBC 37 UMC 48

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Some people say that morals are relative, that there are no definite rights and Q wrongs for everybody. Do you agree or disagree?

52 National Study of Youth and Religion Confusion over Right and Wrong Fewer than one in five Protestant teens say they sometimes feel confused about what is right and wrong, as opposed to usually having a good idea of what is right and wrong in most situations. There is little difference in moral clarity between the different major Protestant traditions, and there is little difference between Protestant Sometimes Feel Confused About teens, unaffiliated teens and all teens. What Is Right and Wrong There are, however, some differences U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) between the specific Protestant denomina- AG 14 tions. Only 6 percent of Episcopalian teens DOC 25 and 9 percent of Missouri Synod Lutheran ECUSA 6

teens say they sometimes feel confused ELCA 18 about what is right and wrong. On the LCMS 9 other hand, 23 percent of Church of God PCUSA 10 in Christ teens, 24 percent of Southern SBC 24 Baptist teens and 25 percent of Disciples of Christ teens report that they sometimes UMC 19 feel confused about what is right and Blk Bapt 17 wrong. COGIC 23 Conservative 19 Regular church attendance appears to have Mainline 18 little effect on stemming confusion over right and wrong; in fact, for some denomi- Blk Prot 22 nations, the regularly attending teens are Unaffiliated 16 slightly more likely to express feeling con- All Protestant 19 fusion over right and wrong. Perhaps some All Teens 20 attending teens are paying more attention to issues of right and wrong. Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 8

ELCA 22 SBC 27 UMC 17

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Do YOU YOURSELF sometimes feel confused about what is right and wrong, or do you usually have a good idea of what is right and wrong in most Q situations?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 53 Sexual Abstinence before Marriage Sixty-three percent of all Protestant teens say they think that people should wait to have sex until they are married while only 38 percent of unaffiliated teens believe in sexual abstinence before marriage. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative Protestant denominations are particularly People Should Wait to Have Sex until They likely to say that people should wait to have Are Married sex until they are married. Eighty-two per- U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) cent of Church of God in Christ teens and 80 percent of Assemblies of God teens report AG 80 supporting sexual abstinence before mar- DOC 67 riage, compared to half of the United ECUSA 40 Methodist teens and only 40 percent of the ELCA 52 Episcopalian teens. LCMS 63 For mainline and conservative Protestant PCUSA 63 teens, regular church attendance appears to SBC 66 increase support for sexual abstinence before UMC 50 marriage. For instance, while 66 percent of Blk Bapt 63 all Southern Baptist teens say they think that COGIC 82 people should wait to have sex until they are Conservative 72 married, 76 percent of the regularly attend- Mainline 50 ing Southern Baptist teens say they support Blk Prot 54 sexual abstinence before marriage. Unaffiliated 38 All Protestant 63 All Teens 56

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 81

ELCA 57 SBC 76 UMC 66

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Do you think that people should wait to have sex until they are married, or not Q necessarily?

54 National Study of Youth and Religion Sexual Intercourse Almost one-fifth of Protestant teenagers report engaging in sexual intercourse in the last year. Mainline teens appear slightly less likely to have had sex in the last year than conservative teens, though black Protestant teens are more likely than both mainline and conservative teens to have engaged in sexual intercourse. More than Engaged in Sexual Intercourse in the 20 percent of Southern Baptist, black Last Year Baptist and Church of God in Christ teens U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) report having sex in the last year. AG 16 On the other hand, five percent or less of DOC 3 Disciples of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran ECUSA 19 Church in America and Presbyterian ELCA 5 Church (USA) teens report engaging in sex- LCMS 15 ual activity in the last year. Factors such as PCUSA 0 race, social status, age and gender normal- SBC 23 ly play a role in affecting teen sexual activity. For instance, race influ- UMC 17 ences the denominational differences — Blk Bapt 21 teens who are affiliated with denomina- COGIC 23 tions that have a greater than average pro- Conservative 18 portion of black adherents are more likely Mainline 15 to report engaging in sexual intercourse. Blk Prot 26 Regularly attending Protestant teens are Unaffiliated 22 generally less likely to have sex than are All Protestant 19 all Protestant teens. Additionally, the view All Teens 19 that people should wait for marriage before having sex appears to be related to whether or not teens actually have sex, but Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) there is still some discrepancy. Church of AG 11 God in Christ teens, for example, are more ELCA 0 likely than most teens to say that people should wait until marriage before having SBC 20 sex, but they are also more likely than UMC 12

most other teens to report having sex. Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

When was the last time you had sexual intercourse? (Asked only of those Q teenagers who said they have ever engaged in sexual intercourse.)

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 55 Cheating in School Sixty-three percent of all Protestant teens say they cheated in school in the last year, making them somewhat more likely than unaffiliated teens to report cheating in school. There is little variation in cheating between the different major Protestant traditions. Cheated in School in the Last Year There is, however, a fair amount of variation between the specific denominations. At the U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) high end, 80 percent of Missouri Synod AG 59 Lutheran teens and 82 percent of Church of DOC 67 God in Christ teens report cheating in school ECUSA 71 in the last year. At the low end, 60 percent ELCA 58 or less of Assemblies of God, Evangelical LCMS 80 Lutheran Church in America, Southern Baptist and United Methodist teens say they PCUSA 78 cheated in school in the last year. SBC 58 UMC 60 Regular church attendance has varying Blk Bapt 69 effects on cheating. For instance, regular COGIC 82 attendance tends to increase cheating for Conservative 62 Assemblies of God teens and it tends to decrease cheating for Evangelical Lutheran Mainline 65 Church in America teens. Blk Prot 62 Unaffiliated 58 All Protestant 63 All Teens 62

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 66

ELCA 53

SBC 59

UMC 63

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

In the last year, how often, if ever, did you cheat on a test, assignment, or Q homework in school?

56 National Study of Youth and Religion Lying to Parents Nine percent of Protestant teens say they lied to their parents fairly often or very often in the previous year. There is little variation between the major Protestant traditions in lying to parents, though there are some differences between the specific denominations. Lied to Parents Fairly or Very For instance, 13 percent of Church of God Often in the Last Year in Christ teens report lying to their parents U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) in the last year while only four percent of Assemblies of God teens say they lied to AG 4 their parents. DOC 6 ECUSA 8 Regular church attendance appears to ELCA 5 have little effect on lying to parents for LCMS 11 many Protestant teens though it moderately decreases lying among PCUSA 7 United Methodist teens. SBC 9 UMC 10 Blk Bapt 10 COGIC 13 Conservative 9 Mainline 8

Blk Prot 9 Unaffiliated 11 All Protestant 9 All Teens 10

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 3 ELCA 3

SBC 9

UMC 6

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q In the last year, how often, if ever, did you lie to your parents?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 57 Drinking Alcohol Eleven percent of Protestant teens report drinking alcohol a few times a month or more, compared to 16 percent of unaffiliated teens. Teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline denominations are somewhat more likely than other Protestant teens to say they drink alcohol at least a few times a month.

Drink Alcohol a Few Times a Month or More Twenty-three percent of teens whose parents are Episcopalian, for example, say they drink U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) alcohol a few times a month or more. Nevertheless, teens whose parents are affili- AG 8 ated with the mainline Presbyterian Church DOC 6 (USA) are the least likely to drink alcohol, ECUSA 23 with none of the Presbyterian Church (USA) ELCA 13 teens in the NSYR sample saying they drink LCMS 7 alcohol a few times a month or more. PCUSA 0 Regular church attendance appears to lead SBC 9 to slightly less alcohol consumption among UMC 14 Protestant teenagers. Blk Bapt 10 COGIC 13 Conservative 10

Mainline 13 Blk Prot 9 Unaffiliated 16 All Protestant 11 All Teens 12

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 8

ELCA 11 SBC 8 UMC 12

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

How often, if at all, do you drink alcohol, such as beer, wine or mixed drinks, Q not including at religious services?

58 National Study of Youth and Religion Smoking Cigarettes Seven percent of Protestant teens say they smoke at least one cigarette a day. Teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominations are less likely than most other Protestant teens to report smoking cigarettes. Among the specific denominations, 2 percent of Episcopalian and Missouri Synod Smoke at Least One Cigarette a Day Lutheran teens and 3 percent of black Baptist teens say they smoke at least one U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) cigarette a day while 12 percent of AG 12 Assemblies of God and 13 percent of DOC 13 Disciples of Christ teens report doing so. ECUSA 2 Regular church attendance for specific ELCA 9 denominations appears to have little effect LCMS 2 on teens’ likelihood of smoking cigarettes. PCUSA 5 SBC 7 UMC 4 Blk Bapt 3 COGIC 9 Conservative 9 Mainline 7 Blk Prot 4 Unaffiliated 11 All Protestant 7 All Teens 7

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 13

ELCA 8

SBC 5 UMC 2

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q Do you smoke cigarettes regularly, that is, at least one cigarette a day, or not?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 59 Using Marijuana Ten percent of Protestant teens report that they use marijuana occasionally or regularly. There is little variation in smoking marijuana among the major Protestant traditions, though there are differences among the specific denominations. Twenty-six percent of Church of God in Christ teens and 15 percent of Use Marijuana Occasionally or Regularly Episcopalian teens say they use marijuana U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) at least occasionally. AG 10 Conversely, only 4 percent of Evangelical DOC 9 Lutheran Church in America teens and 2 ECUSA 15 percent of Missouri Synod Lutheran teens ELCA 4 report using marijuana occasionally or LCMS 2 regularly. Regular church attendance tends PCUSA 10 to decrease the likelihood of smoking marijuana for United Methodist teens, but it SBC 9 has little effect for most other Protestant UMC 10 teens. Blk Bapt 7 COGIC 26 Conservative 9 Mainline 11

Blk Prot 10 Unaffiliated 13 All Protestant 10 All Teens 11

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 8

ELCA 3 SBC 8

UMC 2

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

Q How often, if ever, have you used marijuana?

60 National Study of Youth and Religion Volunteering and Community Service Thirty percent of Protestant teens say they did organized volunteer work or community service at least occasionally in the previous year, slightly less than the percent of all teenagers reporting volunteering at least occasionally in the previous year. Teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline denominations are somewhat Did Organized Volunteer Work at Least more likely than teens whose parents are Occasionally in the Last Year affiliated with conservative denominations U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) to say they volunteered in the last year AG 35 while both mainline and conservative teens are more likely than teens whose DOC 21 parents are affiliated with black Protestant ECUSA 43 denominations to report doing organized ELCA 45 volunteer work or community service. LCMS 26 PCUSA 37 The highlighted denominations range from SBC 32 14 percent of the black Baptist teens say- SBC 32 ing they volunteered to 45 percent of the UMC 34 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Blk Bapt 14 teens reporting that they volunteered at COGIC 41 least occasionally in the last year. Conservative 31 Mainline 35 Regular church attendance appears to have Blk Prot 23 small uneven effects on volunteering for Blk Prot 23 Protestant teens. While regular church Unaffiliated 27 attendance increases the chances of doing All Protestant 30 community service for Assemblies of God, All Teens 33 Southern Baptist and United Methodist teens, it decreases the chances of community service activity for Evangelical Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) Lutheran Church in America teens. AG 42 ELCA 37

SBC 37

UMC 40

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

In the last year, how much, if at all, have you done organized volunteer work Q or community service?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 61 Helping Needy People Forty-four percent of Protestant teens report helping homeless people, needy neighbors, family friends or other people in need, directly — not through an organization — some or a lot. This is the same percent for all U.S. teenagers. Teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant Helped Needy People Some or A Lot in denominations are particularly likely to say the Last Year they help needy people informally. Half of U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) the Church of God in Christ teens, for example, report helping needy people some or a AG 43 lot, compared to a quarter of the DOC 39 Presbyterian Church (USA) teens. ECUSA 38 ELCA 33 Regular church attendance has inconsistent LCMS 33 effects on helping needy people for Protestant teens. For instance, though regular PCUSA 25 church attendance increases the likelihood SBC 44 of informally helping the needy for UMC 37 UMC 37 Assemblies of God teens, it has little or no Blk Bapt 41 effect for Evangelical Lutheran Church in COGIC 50 America, United Methodist and Southern Conservative 43 Baptist teens. Mainline 38 Blk Prot 51 Unaffiliated 47 All Protestant 44 All Teens 44

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 55

ELCA 34 SBC 41

UMC 37

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

In the last year, how much, if at all, did you help homeless people, needy neighbors, family friends, or other people in need, directly, not through an Q organization?

62 National Study of Youth and Religion Political Activity Eleven percent of Protestant teens say that in the last two years they have been involved in political activities, not including student government, such as signing a political petition, attending a political meeting or contacting an elected official. Teens whose parents are affiliated with cer- tain mainline Protestant denominations are Involved in Political Activities somewhat more likely than most other in the Last Two Years Protestant teens to report participating in U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents) political activities. For instance, 20 percent AG 14 of Presbyterian Church (USA) teens and 19 DOC 6 percent of Episcopalian teens say they ECUSA 19 were involved in political activities in the ELCA 11 last two years. On the other hand, LCMS 11 Assemblies of God teens also surpass the PCUSA 20 Protestant average. SBC 10 Regular church attendance seems to have UMC 15 little consistent effect on teenagers’ likeli- Blk Bapt 3 hood of participating in politics. For COGIC 4 instance, regular attendance considerably Conservative 10 decreases political activity for Evangelical Mainline 13 Lutheran Church in America teens, though Blk Prot 12 it leads to slightly more political activity for United Methodist teens. Unaffiliated 12 All Protestant 11 All Teens 11

Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)

AG 11

ELCA 3 SBC 10

UMC 19

Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.

In the last TWO years, have you been involved in any political activities, not including student government, such as signing a political petition, attending a Q political meeting or contacting an elected official, or not?

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 63 Conclusions This report employs the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) survey data to examine the religious beliefs and practices of U.S. Protestant teenagers, as a more denomination-specific follow-up to the recent NSYR-based book by Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton, Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. For many but certainly not all measures, teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative denominations are more likely to believe and participate religiously than are teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline denominations. Teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominations are often highly likely to hold religious beliefs but not as likely to participate. The picture for mainline denominations is not entirely dim. Church- Teens whose attending mainline teens report viewing fellow church members just parents are affiliated as positively as conservative teens view their fellow church members. In fact, the Presbyterian Church (USA) teens report the most positive with conservative views of adults and teens in their churches. Attending mainline teens denominations are also just as likely as conservative teens to report opportunities for are more likely youth involvement in church, with Episcopalian teens being the most likely to report opportunities for teen involvement. Additionally, to believe and mainline teens do not report greater levels of risk behaviors than con- participate religiously servative teens, and they report moderately higher levels of voluntary than are teens whose and political participation than do conservative teens. Church-attend- parents are affiliated ing mainline Protestant teens are also almost as likely as other Protestant teens to say they would attend the same church that they with mainline do if given the choice. While the mainline teens and their parents denominations. express somewhat lower levels of satisfaction with religion and their churches than do conservative teens and parents, mainline Protestant teens also report many positive views of religion and church. For many of the religious measures, Protestant teens who attend church at least two or three times a month are more likely than all Protestant teens

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to believe and participate religiously. The effects of church attendance, however, are often more pronounced for teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline denominations than for teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative or black Protestant denominations. For instance, when it comes to belief in life after death, angels, miracles and judgment day, church attendance has the largest effect on mainline teens. Additionally, the effects of church attendance are sometimes noticeably weak or absent for teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominations, such as among the measures of belief in life after death, angels, miracles and judgment day. The effect of church Less than half of attendance on mainline teens’ religious beliefs and activities is prob- Protestant teens ably partially due to their lower overall levels of belief and religious say that church activity. In other words, church attendance has a greater effect on is a very good those groups of teens who have the most room for improvement. place to talk Although conservative teens generally report higher levels of reli- about serious gious belief and participation, the patterns between denominations often vary, and these variations do not always make sense from the life issues. viewpoints of traditional theological differences. For instance, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America teens are significantly less likely than many other teens to report belief in a judgment day but more likely than many other teens to say they believe in miracles and the afterlife. Theological coherence does not seem to be a hallmark of Protestant teens in general. For instance, 55 percent of Protestant teens report belief in an afterlife yet 80 percent report belief in a judgment day. The NSYR data reveal that a minority of Protestant teens say that church is a very good place to talk about serious life issues. Specifically, less than one-half of Protestant teens say church is a very good place to talk about serious issues in their lives. The mainline teens are especially unlikely to say church is a very good place to talk about serious issues. Many Protestant churches do not seem to be giv- ing their teen members the impression that they can safely discuss important life issues in their churches. Although this report repeatedly points out differences between mainline, conservative, and black Protestant teens, some denominations break that pattern. The Presbyterian Church (USA) teens, in particular, often do not behave like other mainline teens, despite the status of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as a mainline denomination. For instance, Presbyterian Church (USA) teens are the most positive about talking to adults in their church, are the least likely to say adults in their church are hypocrites, look very positively upon fellow congregation members in general, are the most likely to express religious beliefs at school, are highly partici-

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 65 patory in Sunday school and religious summer camps and are highly likely to report having a powerful experience of worship. Regardless of these positive views of church and high levels of religious activity, only two-thirds of Presbyterian Church (USA) teens say they would attend the same church if it were up to them. This suggests that there may be more to retaining teenage members than having approach- able adults and an active Sunday school program. Church-attending Protestant teens in general do not always equate their views of church with their views of fellow congregation members. While most attending Protestant teens have positive views of church, they do not always have positive views of fellow congregation members. Many Protestant teens think that at least some teens in their church are hypocrites. Episcopalian teens are especially likely to say most or all teens and adults in their church are hypocrites. Like their children, the parents of NSYR teens are generally positive toward their churches although they express some concerns, too. A sizable minority of Protestant parents report that their churches are not helpful in raising their teens. The distinc- tion between mainline, conservative and black Protestant parents on this point is quite evident. Mainline parents are by far the least likely to say that their churches are helpful in raising their teens. Many mainline congregations thus do not appear to be meeting the needs or expectations of parents with teenagers. The findings above reveal little connection between morality and risk Most Protestant behaviors. Along these lines, most Protestant teens report relatively teens report high levels of moral clarity. Less than one-fifth, for example, report relatively high levels ever being confused about what is right and what is wrong. Almost two-thirds say people should wait until marriage before having sex. of moral clarity. Despite their moral clarity, however, Protestant teens take part in a Despite their variety of risk behaviors. Eleven percent say they drink alcohol a few moral clarity, times a month or more, 9 percent report lying to their parents fairly or very often in the last year and almost two-thirds report cheating in however, they take school in the last year. Moral awareness thus does not always pro- part in a variety duce moral actions. Furthermore, the risk behaviors themselves do of risk behaviors. not always vary consistently by denomination. For instance, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod teens are the least likely of the denominations to say they use marijuana and some of the least likely to report smoking cigarettes, but they are some of the most likely to say they cheat in school and lie to their parents. Mainline teens report somewhat higher levels of civic activity than do conservative and especially black Protestant teens. Mainline Protestant teens volunteer and participate in political activities more than conservative and black Protestant teens. Black Protestant teens, however, are the most likely to report help-

66 National Study of Youth and Religion ing needy people not through organized means. In the U.S., many often think of religion as what takes place in church or what transpires between a person and their God. It is possible that for many mainline Protestant teens, however, religion also involves a believer’s activity in this world helping their fellow humans. This report is intended, among other things, to help Protestant leaders better understand the adolescent members of their religious organizations. Protestant teens report relatively high levels of religious belief and participation, they generally say they place a high importance on faith and most of them say they have positive views of their churches and fellow church members. In most cases, Protestant teens participate more, are more likely to believe, place a greater importance in faith and more highly value their churches than do non-Protestant teens. Such numbers should be interpreted cautiously, however, since NSYR teen interview findings — as reported in the book by Christian Smith with Melinda Protestant teens Lundquist Denton, Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Lives participate more, of American Teenagers — also show, for instance, that many U.S. are more likely to religious teens understand and embrace very little of the theological substance of their own faith traditions. Readers should also keep in believe, place a mind that, considering all measures of religious participation and greater importance views of religion in this report, there are some Protestant teens who in faith, and more choose not to participate in, believe the teachings of or positively highly value their evaluate their churches. For instance, the fact that about four-fifths of Protestant teens report that adults in their churches are at least churches than do somewhat easy to talk to and get to know also means that about non-Protestant teens. one-fifth do not feel comfortable talking to adults in their congregations. Thus, the results from the NSYR survey not only point to what appears to be the important role churches play in the lives of Protestant teenagers, but also perhaps to ways those churches may need to work more effectively with the teenage members of their churches.

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 67 Appendix A: Religious Traditions

Conservative Protestant Denominations Adventist/Seventh-Day Adventist Independent Baptist American Baptist Association Inter-Denominational American Baptist Churches in the USA Just Protestant Apostolic Pentecostal Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Assemblies of God Lutheran Church Wisconsin Synod Baptist Missionary Association Mennonite Bible Church Missionary Baptist Calvary Chapel Missionary Church Charismatic National Missionary Baptist Convention of Charismatic Baptist America Christian and Missionary Alliance Nazarene Christian Reformed Church Non-Denominational Church (Churches) of Christ North American Baptist Conference Church of God International Other Baptist Church of God of Anderson, Indiana Other Brethren Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee Other Church of God Church of God of Prophecy Other Church (Churches) of Christ Church of God, General Conference Other Lutheran Church of the Brethren Other Methodist Church of the Nazarene Other Pentecostal Conservative Baptist Association of America Other Presbyterian Evangelical Pentecostal Evangelical Covenant Church Pentecostal Church of God Evangelical Free Church Pentecostal Holiness Church Evangelical Presbyterian Church Plymouth Brethren Four Square Presbyterian Church in America Free Methodist Reformed Presbyterian Churches of North Free Will Baptist America Full Gospel Southern Baptist Convention Fundamentalist Spanish Pentecostal Fundamentalist Baptist United Pentecostal Church International General Association of Regular Baptists Vineyard Fellowship General Baptists Wesleyan Church Grace Brethren Church Wesleyan Methodist Holiness Worldwide Church of God Independent

Note: Bold denotes denominations highlighted in the report.

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Mainline Protestant Denominations Congregationalist Northern Baptist Disciples of Christ Presbyterian Church (USA) Episcopal Church in the USA Quaker/Friends Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Reformed Church in America Just Lutheran United Brethren in Christ Just Methodist United Church of Christ Just Presbyterian United Methodist Church Just Protestant Moravian Church in America

Black Protestant Denominations African Methodist Episcopal Just Protestant (if black) African Methodist Episcopal Zion Missionary Baptist (if black) American Baptist Association (if black) National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.* American Baptist Churches in the USA (if black) National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.* Apostolic Pentecostal (if black) National Missionary Baptist Convention of Charismatic Baptist (if black) America (if black)* Christian Methodist Episcopal Non-Denominational (if black) Church (Churches) of Christ (if black) Other Baptist (if black) Church of God in Christ Other Church of God (if black) Church of God in Christ, International Other Methodist (if black) Church of God of the Apostolic Faith Pentecostal (if black) Church of God, Holiness Pentecostal Church of God (if black) General Baptists (if black) Pentecostal Holiness Church (if black) Holiness (if black) Reformed Baptist Independent Baptist (if black) Southern Baptist Convention (if black) Inter-denominational (if black) United Baptist

Note: Bold denotes denominations highlighted in the report. * Denotes denominations in black Baptist grouping.

Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 69 Appendix B:

Demographic Characteristics by Protestant Denomination (percents)

Family African- Income Latino Urban Rural American Below Teens Teens $30,000

Assemblies of God 23 14 29 4 4

Disciples of Christ 31 44 19 7 7

Episcopal Church in the USA 13 29 23 11 2

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 7 16 27 0 0

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 14 20 30 2 4

Presbyterian Church (USA) 7 25 10 0 0

Southern Baptist Convention 24 21 32 25 3

United Methodist Church 10 19 23 6 4

Black Baptist 25 54 25 90 0

Church of God in Christ 55 57 22 87 0

Conservative Protestant 22 19 31 4 8

Mainline Protestant 15 24 23 5 3

Black Protestant 45 47 16 94 1

All Protestants 25 26 25 23 6

Unaffiliated 29 29 24 7 13

All Teenagers 24 27 22 16 12

70 National Study of Youth and Religion www.youthandreligion.org