At a Glance
- A reality check for pastors: Half of Christians and churchgoers tell Barna their pastor understands blended and non-traditional families; the other half disagrees or is not sure.
- The changing family landscape: This gap matters because the “nuclear family” does not represent most U.S. households. More adults inside and outside the Church are waiting longer to get married and have kids in the first place, and many parents are single, remarried or empty-nesting.
- Addressing blind spots: Church leaders may have strengths in addressing married parents, but could grow in their ability to connect with the variety of families in their congregations and communities.
The shape of families is evolving—both across the U.S. and within local congregations. But do pastors’ approach to ministry appropriately account for these shifts?
According to new Barna data, drawn from The State of Today’s Family study, half of Christians or church attendees (50%) tells Barna, yes, “Our pastor is understanding of the experiences of blended families and nontraditional family structures.” But the other half says this is not the case (27%) or that they are not sure (23%). In other words, adults who are in church—who represent a spectrum of family experiences—are split on whether their pastors are mindful of non-nuclear households.
