When Black History Month is observed each year, faith is a thread throughout many of the stories and celebrations of the Black community in the U.S. In fact, according to Black Americans, it’s an essential part of the narrative. New Barna research, from the recently announced State of the Black Church project, show that four out of five Black U.S. adults who align with some type of faith group agree to some extent (41% “strongly,” 38% “somewhat”) that “To understand the African American experience, it is necessary to understand the role of religious faith in the lives of Black people.” This percentage has actually climbed by eight percentage points (from 71%) since 1996 when Barna last included it in a survey.

Members of the Black Church are even more insistent that faith is crucial to the Black experience, with half (50%) agreeing “strongly” (plus 38% who agree “somewhat”). One reason for this may be that, as Barna recently reported, there is a strong opinion that an association with the Black Church provides comfort and agency, countering a broader sense of political powerlessness. Additionally, on a personal level, faith is considered a source of emotional strength, a perspective that has held steady among Black adults between 1996 (91%) and 2020 (87%). Nearly all Black churchgoers today (66% agree “strongly,” 26% agree “somewhat”) express this sentiment.

In this February release for Barna’s ongoing 2021 series exploring new data about the Black Church, we’ll look at how Black Americans perceive Black churches—as well as their pastors—and their own personal engagement in congregations. This data and more will be featured in the Trends in the Black Church report—now available for preorder—with the support of our partners  Rev. Dr. Brianna K. Parker (of Black Millennial Café), Gloo, Urban Ministries, Inc., Lead.NYC, American Bible Society and Compassion.