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Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report onTeenagers in Major U.S. DenominationsPhilip SchwadelUniversity of Nebraska - Lincoln, pschwadel2@unl.edu
Christian SmithUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Portraits of Protestant Teens:A Report on Teenagers in
Major U.S. Denominations
by Phil Schwadel
andChristian 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 ofSociology, is based at the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science atThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The purpose of the project isto 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 ofyouth; to describe the extent to which youth participate in and benefit from the programs and opportunitiesthat religious communities are offering to their youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about theinfluence of religion in youth's lives, in order to encourage sustained reflection about and rethinking of ourcultural and institutional practices with regard to youth and religion.
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominationsby Phil Schwadel and Christian Smith
About the Authors — Philip Schwadel, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher with the National Study of Youthand Religion. Christian Smith is Stuart Chapin Distinguished Professor and associate chair of sociology at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cover Design: Alison Duncan, Durham, NCInterior Design: Roxann L. Miller
Editors: Roxann L. MillerMelinda L. Denton
Copyeditors: Marjorie Hudson, Pittsboro, NCAdam Long, Durham, NC
© 2005 by the National Study of Youth and ReligionAll rights reserved.
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 ReligionThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillCB# 3057Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3057
Website: www.youthandreligion.orgEmail: youthandreligion@unc.edu
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 3
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
NOTE ON DATA AND METHODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
RELIGIOUS PARTICIPATIONChurch Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Religious Youth Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Religious Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Religious Youth Retreats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Religious Music Group or Choir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
RELIGIOUS BELIEFSBelief in God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Unsure About Belief in God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Views of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Closeness to God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Belief in the Afterlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Belief in Angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Belief in Miracles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Belief in Judgment Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
FAITH, PRACTICES, AND EXPERIENCESImportance of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Committed to Live Life for God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Reading the Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Prayer with Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Prayer Answered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Powerful Experience of Spiritual Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
SHARING FAITHReligious Group at School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Express Religious Beliefs at School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Family Talks About Religious Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Publicly Spoken About Faith in Religious Service or Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Shared Faith with Person not of their Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4 National Study of Youth and Religion
EVALUATIONS OF CHURCHChurch Is Usually Warm and Welcoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Church Is Usually Boring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Church Usually Makes Teen Think About Important Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Church Is a Very Good Place to Talk About Serious Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Adults in Teen’s Church Are Somewhat or Very
Easy to Talk with and Get to Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Adults in Congregation are Hypocrites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Teens in Congregation are Hypocrites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Opportunities for Teen Involvement in Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Would Attend Same Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Parent’s View that Church Has Been Very or
Extremely Helpful in Raising their Teen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Parent’s View that Ministry to Teens Is a
Very Important Priority in their Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
MORAL VIEWS AND RISK BEHAVIORSMoral Relativism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Confusion over Right and Wrong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Sexual Abstinence before Marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Sexual Intercourse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Cheating in School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Lying to Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Drinking Alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Smoking Cigarettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Using Marijuana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
CIVIC ACTIVITIESVolunteering and Community Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Helping Needy People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Political Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Appendix A: Religious Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Appendix B: Demographic Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Executive SummaryThis report examines the religious beliefs and practices of American Protestantteenagers using new, nationally representative survey data from the NationalStudy of Youth and Religion (NSYR). The NSYR is a major study of the religiousand spiritual lives of contemporary American teens, which recently produced abook on its major findings entitled, Soul Searching: the Religious and SpiritualLives of American Teenagers (by Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton,Oxford University Press, 2005). In addition to broadly describing the religiousoutlook of Protestant teenagers today — and as a more detailed, descriptive follow-up to that book — this report highlights several positive and negativeexperiences and evaluations of teenagers in different Protestant denominationsand groupings of denominations. In brief, this report presents the following find-ings in these areas of interest:
♦ Religious Participation: Protestant teenagers are relatively active in religiousorganizations and activities, both within and beyond their churches. Aboutone-half of all Protestant teens attend church weekly, participate in Sundayschool or in a religious youth group, pray and attend a religious summercamp or retreat, though less than one-third read the Bible each week. Thisalso means, however, that substantial numbers of Protestant teens are notactively participating in their religious traditions. Teens from conservativedenominations such as Southern Baptist Convention and Assemblies of Godare especially likely to regularly attend church and participate in other religious activities.
♦ Theological Beliefs: Protestant teenagers are likely to hold many traditionalChristian religious beliefs. The majority of Protestant teens say they believein God, the afterlife, angels, demons, miracles, judgment day and they viewGod as a personal being involved in the lives of people today. Sizable num-bers 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
6 National Study of Youth and Religion
Christian religious beliefs. Teens from conservative and black Protestantdenominations are more likely than mainline Protestant teens to hold these religious beliefs.
♦ Importance of Faith: The majority of Protestant teenagers report that their reli-gious faith is very important in their lives. Most of them also say that their fami-lies talk about religion together, that they have shared their faith with someonenot of their faith and that they have had a powerful worship experience. Alarge minority of all Protestant teenagers, and in the case of some denomina-tions a majority of teenagers, do not report that religious faith is very importantin their lives. Teens from conservative and black Protestant denominations areparticularly likely to report that faith is important in their lives.
♦ Evaluations of Churches: The majority of Protestant teenagers express relativelypositive views of their churches and fellow church members. They typicallyreport 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 thattheir current church is generally warm and welcoming. Protestantadolescents, however, do have some reservations about and problemswith their churches and fellow church attendees, as spelled out in thefollowing pages, particularly with other teenage attendees.
The majority of Protestant
teenagers express relatively positive
views of theirchurches and fellow church
members.
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 7
IntroductionThis 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 theUnited States reflect different levels of religiosity in their lives. These include differ-ences between teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative, mainline, andblack Protestant denominational families; differences between teens from diverse,specific Protestant denominations; and differences between Protestant teenagersand all U.S. teenagers. The goal of this report is to follow up on abook recently published on NSYR findings, Soul Searching: theReligious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, in order to helpdenominational and congregational leaders and religion scholarsand observers better understand the religious situations of Protestantadolescents in the United States. Among other outcomes, we hopethis information will provide insights into what Protestant religiouscommunities might do to improve their work with adolescents.
Religious ParticipationMany, but not all, Protestant teenagers are quite active in churchand in other religious activities: ♦ Sixty-five percent of Protestant teens report attending church at
least once a month. ♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative denomina-
tions are especially likely to regularly attend religious services. ♦ Denominational differences are also pronounced when it
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 reli-
gious youth group, having ever been to a religious summer camp and havinggone on a religious retreat.
The goal is tohelp denominationaland congregational leaders and religion
scholars andobservers betterunderstand the
religious situations of Protestant adolescents in the U.S.
8 National Study of Youth and Religion
♦ Teens with parents who are affiliated with conservative denominations areespecially likely to participate in these activities, while teens whose parentsare affiliated with black Protestant denominations are less likely than mostother Protestant teens to participate.
♦ Teens who report regularly attending religious services (at least two to threetimes a month) are more likely to participate in these religious activities thanare teens who do not regularly attend religious services.
Religious BeliefsMost Protestant teens are at least somewhat religious in their beliefs. The majorityof 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, meaningthat 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 beinginvolved in the lives of people today.
♦ The majority of Protestant teens say they believe in the afterlife, angels andother religious doctrines.
♦ Regularly attending Protestant teens are especially likely to report believingin God, the afterlife, angels, demons, miracles and judgment day.
There are sizable differences between denominations and groupings of denomi-nations in belief in God and other standard religious beliefs:
♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative or black Protestantdenominations are generally more likely to believe in God than are teensfrom mainline denominations.
♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with the Assemblies of God, theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Church of God in Christ andthe Southern Baptist Convention are especially likely to say they believe inthe afterlife.
♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with the United Methodist Church or theEpiscopal Church in the USA are less likely than most other Protestant teensto claim belief in the afterlife.
♦ These denominational differences also apply to other standard belief measures.
Religious Faith and ExperiencesReligious faith and religious experiences appear to play an important part in thelives of many Protestant teenagers:
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 9
♦ Sixty percent of Protestant teens say that religious faith is very or extremelyimportant in shaping their daily lives, 59 percent report having a prayeranswered by God, 62 percent recall having had a powerful experience ofworship and 69 percent say they have committed to live their life for God.
♦ Teens who regularly attend religious services report a greater importance ofreligious faith in their lives and are especially likely to report having reli-gious experiences.
There are substantial denominational differences in how highly teens evaluate theimportance 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 PracticesThe moderate level of religious activity among Protestant teenagerspersists outside of the purview of their churches in their personalreligious devotions, as does the higher level of activity among con-servative Protestant teens. A large minority of Protestant teenagersare active in personal religious devotions and other non-organized religious activities:♦ Sixty percent of Protestant teens say they pray alone a few
times a week or more, 47 percent of Protestant teens reportpraying with their parents in the last year and 32 percent ofProtestants report reading the Bible at least once a week.
♦ Protestant teens who regularly attend church are more likelyto pray and read the Bible than are teens who attend sporadi-cally or do not attend at all.
Teens from different Protestant traditions differ in their personal reli-gious devotions: ♦ Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative or black
Protestant denominations are more likely than mainlineProtestant teens to report regularly reading the Bible and praying.
Sharing FaithProtestant 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
Teens whoregularly attend religious servicesreport a greaterimportance of
religious faith in their lives and are especially likely
to report having religious
experiences.
10 National Study of Youth and Religion
shared their faith with someone not of their faith and 23 percent are mem-bers of a religious group that meets at school.
♦ Regularly attending Protestant teens are somewhat more likely to share theirfaith in these ways than teens who do not regularly attend religious services.
♦ Conservative Protestant teens are more likely than mainline teens to sharetheir religious faith with others.
Evaluations of ChurchProtestant teenagers who attend church generally have positive views of theirchurches:
♦ Seventy-nine percent of attending Protestant teens say that church is usuallywarm 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 goodplace to talk about serious issues.
Regarding fellow congregation members, attending Protestant teens have mostlypositive views with some reservations, particularly when it comes to otherteenage members:
♦ Eighty-one percent of attending Protestant teens report that adults at theirchurch are very or somewhat easy to talk with or get to know.
♦ On the negative side for attending Protestant teens, 7 percent report thatmost or all of the adults in their church are hypocrites and 12 percent saythat most or all of the teens in their church are hypocrites.
Protestant teenagers are generally approving of the role for teens in their churchesand their parents mostly believe their churches are supportive in the raising theirteens:
♦ Eighty-six percent of attending Protestant teens say there are opportunitiesfor teen involvement in their church.
♦ If given the choice, 87 percent of attending Protestant teens say they wouldchoose to attend the same church.
♦ When it comes to parents’ views, 62 percent of attending parents say theirchurch has been very or extremely helpful in raising their teen and 73 per-cent report that ministry to teenagers is very important in their church.
♦ Mainline Protestant parents are less likely than conservative and blackProtestant parents to view their congregations in such a positive light.
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 11
Morality, Risk Behaviors and Civic ParticipationThe NSYR survey includes a variety of other measures that allow an examinationof denominational differences in, among other areas, morality, risk behaviors andcivic participation. Conservative Protestant teens appear to have the clearestmoral vision among Protestant teens, though they are not less likely to take partin risk behaviors: ♦ Nineteen percent of Protestant teens report sometimes being
confused over right and wrong, 41 percent agree that moralsare relative and 63 percent say that people should wait formarriage before having sex.
♦ Mainline and black Protestant teens are more likely than con-servative teens to agree that morals are relative and less likelyto say people should wait for marriage before having sex.
♦ Conservative teens, however, are not any less likely than otherProtestant teens to report smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol,using marijuana, cheating in school and lying to their parents.
The teenagers of mainline Protestant parents are often more likelythan most other Protestant teens to participate in civic activities: ♦ Mainline teens as a whole are somewhat more likely than
conservative and especially black Protestant teens to reportthey volunteer in the community and participate in politicalactivities though conservative and especially black Protestantteens are more likely to say they helped the needy.
Nineteen percent of Protestant
teens report sometimes being
confused over right and wrong.
Note on Data and MethodsThis report is based on data from the NSYR telephone survey. The NSYR is fundedby Lilly Endowment Inc. under the direction of Professor Christian Smith at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is a comprehensive study of the reli-gious lives of American teenagers. The NSYR provides a baseline, descriptive mapof the religious character of adolescents in the United States. A major component ofthe NSYR is a telephone survey conducted from the summer of 2002 to early 2003.
Random-digit-dialing (employing a sample of randomly generated tele-phone numbers representative of all households in the United States)and in-home randomization methods (selecting the teen in eachhousehold with the most recent birthday) were employed to achievea random sample of Americans age thirteen to seventeen. A Spanishlanguage version of the survey ensured that non-English speakerswere not overlooked. Survey questions were administered to the ran-domly chosen teen in the household and to one of his or her parents.The completed, unweighted survey provides data on 3,290 teenagersand their parents, 1,988 of whom are Protestant. All analyses areweighted to correct for variations between the NSYR data and nation-al variations in income and geographic distribution. For most meas-ures, the few teenagers who answered "don't know" or refused toanswer the question were treated as "missing cases," which meansthey are not included in the analysis. For the few measures where alarge proportion of teenagers did not answer the question or wherethe "don't know" category is meaningful, all teenagers were includedin the analysis (e.g., belief in God, views of God, and belief in judg-ment day). Question wording reflects the versions of the questionsposed to Protestant teens. For more information on the NSYR data,
see Christian Smith and Melinda Denton’s “Methodological Design and Proceduresfor the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR),” published in 2003 by theNational Study of Youth and Religion in Chapel Hill, N.C. (available at the National
12 National Study of Youth and Religion
The National Study of Youth and Religion provides a baseline,
descriptive map of the religious
character of adolescents in the
United States.
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 13
Study of Youth and Religion web site — www.youthandreligion.org). Readersshould note that answers to religion survey questions are typically subject to socialdesirability biases, so survey reports may overestimate actual religiosity. Normally, itis helpful to set survey answers in the context of in-depth interview data, as theNSYR did in its research, reported in Christian Smith with Melinda LundquistDenton, 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 par-ents report affiliation with mainline Protestant, conservative Protestant, and blackProtestant denominations. Parents’ religious affiliation is defined as the religious tra-dition, denomination, or church they most closely identify with (affiliation reflectsidentification with a religious group, not necessarily attendance at a specificchurch). The denominational categories are based on a standard categorization ofProtestant denominations (see Appendix A for a list of denominations within eachtradition). Note that affiliation with the black Protestant category does not necessari-ly mean the teen is black, but rather that his or her parent(s) affiliate with a histori-cally black Protestant denomination. This report also focuses on the differencesbetween Protestant teenagers whose parents affiliate with a variety of specificdenominations. Specific denominations each fall under a larger religious tradition,meaning that the denominational and religious tradition categories are not mutuallyexclusive. Based on parents’ denominational affiliation, nine denominations providea large enough sample of teens for reliable denominational analyses. In addition todifferences between all Protestants, mainline Protestants, conservative Protestants,black Protestants, and all teenagers, differences between the following nine denomi-nations are also highlighted (number of sampled teens in parentheses):
♦ Assemblies of God (56)♦ Disciples of Christ (35)♦ Episcopal Church in the USA (45)♦ Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (50)
Traditionally black Protestant denominations have sample sizes too low for reliableanalyses. In order to include teens whose parents are affiliated with black Baptistdenominations, three historically black Baptist denominations are combined —National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., National Baptist Convention of Americaand National Missionary Baptist. Thirty-two teens are considered black Baptists. Theblack Baptist category and Church of God in Christ denomination, a traditionallyblack Protestant denomination, have smaller sample sizes than the other denomina-tions included in the report. They are included, however, despite the relatively smallsample sizes.
♦ Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (40)♦ Presbyterian Church (USA) (36)♦ Southern Baptist Convention (311)♦ United Methodist Church (184) ♦ Church of God in Christ (23)
Where appropriate, teens whose parents affiliate with each denomination arecompared to the regularly attending teens in the same denomination. Though notshown in the graphs, the text also refers to comparisons between all Protestantteens and Protestant teens who regularly attend church as well as between allteens in groupings of denominations, such as conservative or mainline, and teensin those groups who regularly attend church. Regular church attendance isdefined as at least two to three times a month. Fifty-nine percent of Protestantteens report regular church attendance. Among the highlighted denominations, 75percent of Assemblies of God, 66 percent of Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica, 65 percent of Southern Baptist and 52 percent of United Methodist teensattend church regularly. For denominations with small sample sizes, comparisonsbetween all teens and regularly attending teens are not possible.
The NSYR survey data reveals distinctions in family characteristics between thedenominations and between different Protestant traditions (see Appendix B fortable of demographic characteristics by denomination). As a whole, families whoare affiliated with mainline denominations are less likely than families who areaffiliated 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 ofGod teens are overrepresented in rural areas. Families who are affil-iated with conservative denominations are generally more likely tolive in rural areas than are other Protestants. Compared to otherpredominately white denominations, the Southern BaptistConvention has a higher percentage of black teens.
The remainder of this report focuses on teens’ accounts of theirreligious beliefs and actions, specifying how all Protestant teens,teens from three broad Protestant traditions, teens from nineProtestant denominations, black Baptist teens, unaffiliated teens andall teens view various aspects of religion. Readers should keep inmind that since the majority of teens are Protestant (57 percent), the“all teens” category is largely driven by Protestant teens. The unaf-filiated category consists of teens whose parents say they do notidentify with any religion. The main body of the report contains agraph for each measure of religious activity, religious belief andviews of religion and church, presenting the percent of teens ineach religious tradition and denomination who participate in the
specified activity or hold to the religious belief in question. This report aims to layout the religious views and activities of contemporary Protestant teens in differentProtestant traditions to provide religious leaders and parents with facts about therole of religion in the lives of Protestant adolescents.
14 National Study of Youth and Religion
This report aims to provide
religious leaders and parents with
facts about the roleof religion in thelives of Protestant
adolescents.
Church AttendanceMost Protestant teenagers are at least somewhat active in worship services in theirchurches, though less than half are highly active. Forty-five percent of Protestantteens report attending church at least once a week. Forty-one percent of all teensreport attending church at least once aweek, and only 9 percent of unaffiliatedteens say they attend at least once a week.
Conservative teens are more likely toattend church regularly than are otherProtestant teens. Among the highlightedProtestant denominations, at least 65 per-cent of teens whose parents affiliate withthe Assemblies of God, the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America, the LutheranChurch Missouri Synod, the SouthernBaptist Convention and the Church ofGod in Christ say they attend church atleast once a month. At the low end ofchurch attendance, less than half of theteens with Episcopalian parents reportattending church once a month or more.Teens whose parents affiliate with main-line denominations are more likely thanother Protestant teens to say they neverattend church.
Do you attend religious services more than once or twice a year, NOT count-ing weddings, baptisms, and funerals? About how often do you usually attendreligious services?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 15
Church Attendance, U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
DOC
ECUSA
ELCA
LCMS
PCUSA
SBC
UMC
Blk Bapt
COGIC
Conservative
Mainline
Blk Prot
All Protestant
Unaffiliated
All Teens
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG
Once a Week or More 1-3 Times a Month Few or Many Times a Year Never
66 16 14 4
42 18 18 21
29 19 31 21
1449 18
20 16
17
11
1535 27 24
1953
20559
47 18
19
45 14 34 7
48 22 26 4
10
36
36
54 19
22
20
9 16 21 54
15
20
29
22
18
14
182319
21
41
2045
19
66 16 14 4
42 18 18 21
29 19 31 21
1449 18
20 16
17
11
1535 27 24
1953
20559
47 18
19
45 14 34 7
48 22 26 4
10
36
36
54 19
22
20
9 16 21 54
15
20
29
22
18
14
182319
21
41
2045
19
Religious Youth GroupsAlmost half of Protestant teens (47 percent) say they are currently in a religiousyouth group, while only 38 percent of all teens and 12 percent of unaffiliated teenssay the same. Conservative teens are more likely than mainline teens to report par-
ticipation in a religious youth group, andmainline teens are more likely than blackProtestant teens to say they are in a youthgroup.
The differences among the specific denomi-nations generally follow the conservative/mainline differences. Seventy-one percent ofAssemblies of God teens, for example, reportyouth group activity while only 25 percentof Disciples of Christ and 34 percent ofEpiscopalian teens say they are currently ina youth group.
Regular church attendance is associated witha greater likelihood of youth group participa-tion, especially for mainline Protestants.Among all mainline Protestants, 44 percentreport being in a religious youth group and70 percent of the regular church attendeessay they are in a youth group. The specificmainline denominations reflect the impor-tance of church attendance, with 50 percentof all United Methodist teens saying they arein a religious youth group and 77 percent ofthe regular church-attending UnitedMethodists reporting youth group participa-tion.
Are you CURRENTLY involved in ANY religious youth group?Q16 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 71
DOC 25
ECUSA 34
ELCA 52
LCMS 48
PCUSA 59
SBC 55
UMC 50
Blk Bapt 55
COGIC 57
Conservative 54
Mainline 44
Blk Prot 35
All Protestant 47
Unaffiliated 12
All Teens 38
AG 76
ELCA 61
SBC 69
UMC 77
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Currently Involved in Any Religious Youth GroupU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 71
DOC 25
ECUSA 34
ELCA 52
LCMS 48
PCUSA 59
SBC 55
UMC 50
Blk Bapt 55
COGIC 57
Conservative 54
Mainline 44
Blk Prot 35
All Protestant 47
Unaffiliated 12
All Teens 38
AG 76
ELCA 61
SBC 69
UMC 77
Sunday SchoolSlightly more than one-half of all Protestant teens (55 percent) report going toSunday school at least a few times a month in the last year. Teens whose parents areaffiliated with conservative and black Protestant denominations are more likely thanmainline Protestant teens to regularly participate in Sunday school.
At the high end of Sunday school participa-tion, more than three-quarters of teenswhose parents affiliate with the Assembliesof God or the black Baptist denominationsreport regularly attending Sunday school.Conversely, only 38 percent of teens whoseparents are affiliated with the Disciples ofChrist and 23 percent of teens whose par-ents are Episcopalian report regular Sundayschool participation.
Regular church attendance leads to higherrates of Sunday school participation formost but not all Protestant groups. Forinstance, 55 percent of teens whose parentsaffiliate with the Evangelical LutheranChurch in America say they participate inSunday school at least a few times a monthcompared to 58 percent of the regularlyattending Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica teens.
On the other hand, the effect of regularattendance is fairly large for SouthernBaptist teens, despite the fact that theseteens were already highly likely to attendSunday school regardless of church atten-dance. The largest jump is among theUnited Methodist teens, with about half ofall United Methodist teens and almost three-quarters of the regular attendees reportinggoing to Sunday school at least a few timesa month.
In the last year, how often, if at all, have you attended a religious Sundayschool or other religious education class?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 17
AG 78
DOC 38
ECUSA 23
ELCA 55
LCMS 52
PCUSA 63
SBC 66
UMC 48
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 55
Conservative 61
Mainline 43
Blk Prot 58
All Protestant 55
Unaffiliated 14
All Teens 47
AG 84
ELCA 58
SBC 84
UMC 73
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Attended Sunday School a Few Times a Month or More in the Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 78
DOC 38
ECUSA 23
ELCA 55
LCMS 52
PCUSA 63
SBC 66
UMC 48
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 55
Conservative 61
Mainline 43
Blk Prot 58
All Protestant 55
Unaffiliated 14
All Teens 47
AG 84
ELCA 58
SBC 84
UMC 73
Religious CampsAs with religious youth groups, almost half of all Protestant teens (47 percent) reportever having been a camper at a summer camp run by a religious organization withreligious teachings or songs in its program. Teens whose parents affiliate with theAssemblies of God are again more likely than other teens to participate in this
religious activity.
Other conservative teens, however, such asthose from the Southern Baptist Convention,are not necessarily more likely than mostother Protestant teens to report attending areligious summer camp. While conservativeteens as a whole are only a little more likelythan mainline teens to have attended a reli-gious summer camp, conservative andmainline teens are both far more likely thanblack Protestant teens to have gone to areligious summer camp.
Regular church attendance increases sum-mer camp participation among Protestantteens, though the effect varies among thedifferent denominations and Protestant tra-ditions. For instance, 48 percent of mainlineProtestant teens report summer camp activi-ty, and 67 percent of the regularly attendingmainline teens say the same. The largeeffect of attendance for mainline Protestantsis evident among the United Methodist andEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americateens shown in the graph. Conversely,church attendance appears to have littleeffect on summer camp participation amongteens whose parents affiliate with blackProtestant denominations.
How many TOTAL times, if any, have you been a camper at a summer camprun by a religious organization with religious teachings or songs in its program?Q
18 National Study of Youth and Religion
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Ever Attended a Summer Camp Run by a Religious OrganizationU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 78
DOC 36
ECUSA 40
ELCA 41
LCMS 48
PCUSA 61
SBC 48
UMC 53
Blk Bapt 31
COGIC 46
Conservative 53
Mainline 48
Blk Prot 31
All Protestant 47
Unaffiliated 13
All Teens 39
AG 92
ELCA 58
SBC 57
UMC 71
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 78
DOC 36
ECUSA 40
ELCA 41
LCMS 48
PCUSA 61
SBC 48
UMC 53
Blk Bapt 31
COGIC 46
Conservative 53
Mainline 48
Blk Prot 31
All Protestant 47
Unaffiliated 13
All Teens 39
AG 92
ELCA 58
SBC 57
UMC 71
Religious Youth Retreats, Conferences, Rallies or Congresses
Half of the Protestant teens report participating in a religious youth retreat, confer-ence, rally or congress. Conservative teensare slightly more likely to participate thanare mainline teens, who are more likely toparticipate than are teens whose parentsare affiliated with black Protestant denomi-nations.
Assemblies of God teens are among themost likely of the selected denominationsto report attending a religious youthretreat, conference, rally or congress, justas they are the most likely to regularlyattend church and participate in Sundayschool, youth groups and summer camps.
While half of the Protestant teens say theyhave been to a religious youth retreat, con-ference, rally or congress, 62 percent ofthe Protestant teens who regularly attendchurch say the same. Regular church atten-dance again has more of an effect onmainline and conservative teens’ religiousparticipation than on black Protestantteens’ religious participation. AmongUnited Methodist teens, for example, 54 percent say they attended aretreat and 74 percent of the regularchurch attendees report involvement in areligious retreat.
How many, if any, religious youth retreats, conferences, rallies, or congresseshave you ever participated in?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 19
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Ever Participated in a Religious Youth Retreat,Conference, Rally or CongressU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 64
DOC 30
ECUSA 52
ELCA 51
LCMS 49
PCUSA 49
SBC 55
UMC 54
Blk Bapt 36
COGIC 67
Conservative 54
Mainline 50
Blk Prot 40
All Protestant 50
Unaffiliated 28
All Teens 44
AG 68
ELCA 53
SBC 68
UMC 74
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 64
DOC 30
ECUSA 52
ELCA 51
LCMS 49
PCUSA 49
SBC 55
UMC 54
Blk Bapt 36
COGIC 67
Conservative 54
Mainline 50
Blk Prot 40
All Protestant 50
Unaffiliated 28
All Teens 44
AG 68
ELCA 53
SBC 68
UMC 74
Religious Music Group or ChoirA large minority of Protestant teens (42 percent) report playing or singing in a reli-gious music group or choir in the last year. Teens whose parents affiliate with blackProtestant denominations, for whom choir may substitute for youth group participa-tion, are considerably more likely than teens whose parents affiliate with conservative
and mainline Protestant denominations tosay they were or are in a choir.
This patterns is also evident among the spe-cific denominations examined, with Churchof God in Christ and black Baptist teensbeing the most likely to report religiousmusic group or choir participation. Teensfrom some of the conservative denomina-tions, such as the Assemblies of God and theLutheran Church Missouri Synod, have particularly low rates of choir participation.
Among most Protestant groups, the teenswho regularly attend church are moderatelymore likely to say they were in a choir ormusic group; the effects of church atten-dance are most pronounced for mainlineand unaffiliated teens. For instance, 41 per-cent of United Methodist teens report choiractivity, compared to 56 percent of the regu-larly attending United Methodist teens.
In the last year, have you played or sung in a religious music group or choir?Q20 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 22
DOC 39
ECUSA 38
ELCA 43
LCMS 23
PCUSA 39
SBC 47
UMC 41
Blk Bapt 52
COGIC 77
Conservative 39
Mainline 37
Blk Prot 56
All Protestant 42
Unaffiliated 24
All Teens 35
AG 24
ELCA 35
SBC 51
UMC 56
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Played or Sung in Religious Music Group orChoir in the Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 22
DOC 39
ECUSA 38
ELCA 43
LCMS 23
PCUSA 39
SBC 47
UMC 41
Blk Bapt 52
COGIC 77
Conservative 39
Mainline 37
Blk Prot 56
All Protestant 42
Unaffiliated 24
All Teens 35
AG 24
ELCA 35
SBC 51
UMC 56
Belief in GodNinety percent of Protestant teenagers report believing in God. Belief in Godappears widespread among teenagers generally, with 85 percent of all teens andeven 62 percent of unaffiliated teens saying they believe in God.
Teenagers whose parents are affiliated withconservative or black Protestant denomina-tions are especially likely to report belief inGod. For instance, 92 percent ofAssemblies of God teens, 96 percent ofSouthern Baptist teens, 97 percent of blackBaptist teens and 100 percent of Church ofGod in Christ teens report believing inGod. The lower levels of belief in Godamong mainline Protestants, however, maybe because mainline teens are moreunsure about God, rather than denying theexistence of God, as the next graph shows(see p. 22).
Protestant teens who regularly attendchurch are somewhat more likely to reportbelief in God though the high levels ofbelief among all Protestant teens does notleave much room for increase. Amongdenominations with lower levels of beliefin God, however, church attendance has alarger effect. To illustrate, while 84 percentof United Methodist teens report belief inGod, 99 percent of the regularly attendingUnited Methodist teens say they believe inGod.
Do you believe in God, or not, or are you unsure?QPortraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 21
AG 92
DOC 81
ECUSA 72
ELCA 91
LCMS 83
PCUSA 75
SBC 96
UMC 84
Blk Bapt 97
COGIC 100
Conservative 92
Mainline 80
Blk Prot 98
All Protestant 90
Unaffiliated 62
All Teens 85
AG 95
ELCA 95
SBC 98
UMC 99
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Believe in God: Yes
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 92
DOC 81
ECUSA 72
ELCA 91
LCMS 83
PCUSA 75
SBC 96
UMC 84
Blk Bapt 97
COGIC 100
Conservative 92
Mainline 80
Blk Prot 98
All Protestant 90
Unaffiliated 62
All Teens 85
AG 95
ELCA 95
SBC 98
UMC 99
Unsure About Belief in GodAlthough very few Protestant teenagers say they do not believe in God, 8 percentsay they are unsure about God. Mainline teens are more likely to express uncertaintyabout God than are teens whose parents affiliate with conservative or black
Protestant denominations, who are highlylikely to say they definitely believe in God(see p. 21).
There are relatively high levels of uncertaintyabout God among some of the mainlinedenominations’ teens, such as 20 percent ofthe Presbyterian Church (USA) teens and 23percent of the Episcopalian teens.
Regular church attendance generally leads tolower levels of uncertainty about God, espe-cially for mainline teens. Among UnitedMethodist teens, for example, 16 percent saythey are unsure about God, while only 1percent of the regular church attendeesreport being unsure about God.
Do you believe in God, or not, or are you unsure?Q22 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 8
DOC 16
ECUSA 23
ELCA 9
LCMS 13
PCUSA 20
SBC 3
UMC 16
Blk Bapt 3
COGIC 0
Conservative 6
Mainline 16
Blk Prot 2
All Protestant 8
Unaffiliated 26
All Teens 12
AG 5
ELCA 5
SBC 2
UMC 1
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Believe in God: Unsure
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
Views of GodAlmost three-quarters of Protestant teens agree that God is a personal being involvedin the lives of people today, while 12 percent say God created the world but is notinvolved in the world now, and 11 percent say God is not personal but somethinglike a cosmic life force. Teens whose par-ents are affiliated with conservative andblack Protestant denominations reportviewing God as a personal being involvedin the lives of people at a higher rate thanteens whose parents are affiliated withmainline denominations. On the otherhand, mainline teens are more likely thanconservative and black Protestant teens tosay God is not personal but somethinglike a cosmic life force.
For many Protestant groups, especiallythose who are less likely to say God is apersonal being, regular church attendancemeans higher rates of viewing God as apersonal being involved in the lives ofpeople today. For instance, 69 percent ofUnited Methodist teens and 75 percent ofEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americateens say God is a personal beinginvolved in the lives of people today,while 88 percent of regularly attendingUnited Methodist teens and 87 percent ofregularly attending Evangelical LutheranChurch in America teens say the same.
Which of the following views comes closest to your own view of God? God isa personal being involved in the lives of people today, or God created theworld, but is NOT involved in the world now, or God is not personal, butsomething like a cosmic life force.Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 23
Views of GodU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
Personal beinginvolved in people’s lives today
Created theworld, but NOTinvolved now
Not personal, likea cosmic lifeforce
Don’t knowor none ofthese views
10 6 6
19 23 6
9 24
14
16 18
26
10
4
14
13
16
14
14 19
16 33
9
14
12 11
5 5
15
12
16
10 6 6
19 23 6
9 24
14
16 18
26
10
4
14
13
16
14
14 19
16 33
9
14
12 11
5 5
15
12
16
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 78
DOC 52
ECUSA 61
ELCA 75
LCMS 64
PCUSA 58
SBC 75
UMC 69
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 87
Conservative 77
Mainline 64
Blk Prot 73
All Protestant 73
Unaffiliated 48
All Teens 68
AG 84
ELCA 87
SBC 82
UMC 88
AG 78
DOC 52
ECUSA 61
ELCA 75
LCMS 64
PCUSA 58
SBC 75
UMC 69
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 87
Conservative 77
Mainline 64
Blk Prot 73
All Protestant 73
Unaffiliated 48
All Teens 68
AG 84
ELCA 87
SBC 82
UMC 88
55
66
55
99
1515
99
99
77
99
66
22
22
22
22
33
44
33
33
33
33
44
33
55
66 44
11
22
Closeness to GodForty-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 whoseparents are affiliated with conservative or black Protestant denominations are gener-ally more likely than mainline teens to report feeling close to God.
Among the highlighted denominations, teenswhose parents are affiliated with the blackBaptist denominations and the Assemblies ofGod are particularly likely to report feelingclose to God, while less than a quarter ofEpiscopalian teens say they feel close toGod.
Teens who report regular church attendanceare generally more likely to feel close toGod than are all teens. For instance, 49 per-cent of Southern Baptist teens say they feelvery or extremely close to God, compared to58 percent of the regularly attendingSouthern Baptist teens.
How distant or close do you feel to God most of the time? Would you sayextremely distant, very distant, somewhat distant, somewhat close, very close,or extremely close?Q
24 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 53
DOC 38
ECUSA 22
ELCA 43
LCMS 48
PCUSA 45
SBC 49
UMC 38
Blk Bapt 55
COGIC 48
Conservative 46
Mainline 36
Blk Prot 48
All Protestant 44
Unaffiliated 18
All Teens 38
AG 55
ELCA 43
SBC 58
UMC 56
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Feel Very or Extremely Close to God Most of the TimeU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 53
DOC 38
ECUSA 22
ELCA 43
LCMS 48
PCUSA 45
SBC 49
UMC 38
Blk Bapt 55
COGIC 48
Conservative 46
Mainline 36
Blk Prot 48
All Protestant 44
Unaffiliated 18
All Teens 38
AG 55
ELCA 43
SBC 58
UMC 56
Belief in the AfterlifeThe 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 afterdeath. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative denominations are gener-ally more likely than black Protestant and especially mainline Protestant teens to saythey believe in the afterlife.
Assemblies of God teens are more likelythan most other teens to report belief in theafterlife. On the other hand, teens whoseparents are affiliated with mainline denomi-nations such as the United MethodistChurch, the Episcopal Church and thePresbyterian Church (USA) are less likelythan most other Protestant teens to say theydefinitely believe in life after death.
Belief in the afterlife is fairly widespreadamong American teenagers, as even 37 percent of the unaffiliated teens report definitely believing in life after death.Regular church attendance appears to mod-erately increase belief in the afterlife,though the effect varies for differentProtestant denominations. Church atten-dance has a large effect for some groups,such as the United Methodists, with 43 per-cent reporting belief in life after death and54 percent of the regular church attendeessaying they believe in life after death. Forother denominations, such as theAssemblies of God and the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America, church atten-dance has little effect.
Do you believe that there is life after death?QPortraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 25
DOC 49
ECUSA 35
ELCA 70
LCMS 59
PCUSA 43
SBC 60
UMC 43
Blk Bapt 59
COGIC 64
Conservative 61
Mainline 45
Blk Prot 51
All Protestant 55
Unaffiliated 37
All Teens 50
AG 76
ELCA 70
SBC 65
UMC 54
Definitely Believe in Life After Death
AG 75
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
DOC 49
ECUSA 35
ELCA 70
LCMS 59
PCUSA 43
SBC 60
UMC 43
Blk Bapt 59
COGIC 64
Conservative 61
Mainline 45
Blk Prot 51
All Protestant 55
Unaffiliated 37
All Teens 50
AG 75
AG 76
ELCA 70
SBC 65
UMC 54
Belief in AngelsSeventy-one percent of Protestant teenagers report definitely believing in the exis-tence of angels. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and blackProtestant denominations are considerably more likely to say they believe in angels
than are mainline Protestant teens. Forinstance, 86 percent of teens whose parentsare affiliated with the Assemblies of Godand 83 percent of teens whose parents areaffiliated with black Baptist denominationssay they believe in angels. Conversely, teenswhose parents are affiliated with theEpiscopal Church, the Disciples of Christand the United Methodist Church are lesslikely than most other Protestant teens to saythey definitely believe angels.
Regular church attendance seems to increasebelief in angels, predominantly in denomi-nations with lower levels of belief in angels,such as the United Methodist Church.
Do you believe in the existence of angels?Q26 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 86
DOC 50
ECUSA 46
ELCA 63
LCMS 70
PCUSA 56
SBC 79
UMC 54
Blk Bapt 83
COGIC 74
Conservative 77
Mainline 54
Blk Prot 75
All Protestant 71
Unaffiliated 39
All Teens 63
AG 87
ELCA 63
SBC 86
UMC 68
Definitely Believe in Existence of Angels
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 86
DOC 50
ECUSA 46
ELCA 63
LCMS 70
PCUSA 56
SBC 79
UMC 54
Blk Bapt 83
COGIC 74
Conservative 77
Mainline 54
Blk Prot 75
All Protestant 71
Unaffiliated 39
All Teens 63
AG 87
ELCA 63
SBC 86
UMC 68
Belief in MiraclesSixty-nine percent of Protestant teens report definitely believing in the possibility ofdivine miracles from God. There are substantial differences between denominations,with teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and black Protestantdenominations generally being more likelyto believe in miracles.
Teens whose parents are affiliated withconservative and black Protestant denomi-nations such as the Assemblies of God, theSouthern Baptist Convention, the Churchof God in Christ and black Baptist denomi-nations report higher than average levels ofbelief in miracles, each with well over 70percent saying they believe in miracles.Teens whose parents are affiliated with theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America, amainline denomination, are also highlylikely to report believing in miracles.Disciples of Christ teens, Episcopalianteens and United Methodist teens reportlower than average levels of belief in mira-cles, each with about 50 percent sayingthey definitely believe in the possibility ofdivine miracles from God.
Regular church attendance generallyincreases conservative and mainlineProtestant teens’ likelihood of believing inmiracles (Assemblies of God teens are anexception), but it has little or no effect onblack Protestant teens’ belief in miracles.
Do you believe in the possibility of divine miracles from God?QPortraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 27
AG 75
DOC 50
ECUSA 48
ELCA 78
LCMS 59
PCUSA 64
SBC 74
UMC 51
Blk Bapt 82
COGIC 86
Conservative 75
Mainline 54
Blk Prot 76
All Protestant 69
Unaffiliated 35
All Teens 61
Definitely Believe in the Possibility of Miracles
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 75
DOC 50
ECUSA 48
ELCA 78
LCMS 59
PCUSA 64
SBC 74
UMC 51
Blk Bapt 82
COGIC 86
Conservative 75
Mainline 54
Blk Prot 76
All Protestant 69
Unaffiliated 35
All Teens 61
AG 71
ELCA 87
SBC 83
UMC 64
AG 71
ELCA 87
SBC 83
UMC 64
Belief in Judgment DayFour out of five Protestant teens agree that there will come a judgment day whenGod will reward some and punish others. Teens whose parents are affiliated withconservative and black Protestant denominations are far more likely than mainlineteens to report believing in judgment day.
Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist, blackBaptist and Church of God in Christ teensreport higher than average levels of belief injudgment day. Episcopalian, EvangelicalLutheran Church in America, PresbyterianChurch (USA) and United Methodist teensreport lower than average levels of belief injudgment day.
Regular church attendance is associated witha greater likelihood of believing in judgmentday, even for the denominations where ahigh proportion of teens already believe injudgment day. For instance, 92 percent of allAssemblies of God teens agree that therewill come a judgment day when God willreward some and punish others, and 100percent of the regularly attending Assembliesof God teens say the same.
Do you believe that there will come a judgment day when God will rewardsome and punish others, or not?Q
28 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 92
DOC 68
ECUSA 60
ELCA 59
LCMS 72
PCUSA 53
SBC 88
UMC 64
Blk Bapt 90
COGIC 91
Conservative 86
Mainline 61
Blk Prot 88
All Protestant 80
Unaffiliated 49
All Teens 73
AG 92
DOC 68
ECUSA 60
ELCA 59
LCMS 72
PCUSA 53
SBC 88
UMC 64
Blk Bapt 90
COGIC 91
Conservative 86
Mainline 61
Blk Prot 88
All Protestant 80
Unaffiliated 49
All Teens 73
AG 100
ELCA 76
SBC 92
UMC 76
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Believe in Judgment Day
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 100
ELCA 76
SBC 92
UMC 76
Importance of FaithReligious faith plays an important role in the lives of the majority of Protestantteenagers. Sixty percent of Protestant teens say faith is very or extremely importantin shaping how they live their daily lives. This of course leaves 40 percent who donot think faith plays a very important rolein their daily lives. Teens whose parentsare affiliated with conservative and blackProtestant denominations are especiallylikely to say faith is important in shapingtheir daily lives.
For instance, 72 percent of SouthernBaptist teens, 77 percent of Assemblies ofGod teens, 76 percent of black Baptistteens and 91 percent of Church of God inChrist teens say faith is important in shap-ing their daily lives. Less than half of theteens from some mainline Protestantdenominations, such as the UnitedMethodist Church and the EpiscopalChurch, say faith is very or extremelyimportant in shaping their daily lives.
Church attendance tends to increase feelings that faith is very or extremelyimportant in shaping how teens live theirdaily lives, especially for mainlineProtestants. For instance, 61 percent ofEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americateens say faith is important in shaping theirdaily lives though 71 percent of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americateens who regularly attend church reportthat faith is important in shaping their daily lives.
How important or unimportant is religious faith in shaping how you live yourdaily life?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 29
AG 77
DOC 47
ECUSA 40
ELCA 61
LCMS 54
PCUSA 55
SBC 72
UMC 45
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 91
Conservative 64
Mainline 43
Blk Prot 69
All Protestant 60
Unaffiliated 23
All Teens 51
AG 84
ELCA 71
SBC 83
UMC 63
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Faith Is Very or Extremely Important in Shaping Daily LifeU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 77
DOC 47
ECUSA 40
ELCA 61
LCMS 54
PCUSA 55
SBC 72
UMC 45
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 91
Conservative 64
Mainline 43
Blk Prot 69
All Protestant 60
Unaffiliated 23
All Teens 51
AG 84
ELCA 71
SBC 83
UMC 63
Committed to Live Life for GodAbout seven in 10 Protestant teens report that they have made a personal commit-ment to live their lives for God, while only 27 percent of the unaffiliated teensreport having made such a commitment. There are large denominational differences
in reporting a personal commitment to livelife for God, with conservative Protestantteens being more likely than black Protestantand especially more likely than mainlineProtestant teens to make a commitment tolive life for God. For instance, 88 percent ofAssemblies of God teens and 80 percent ofSouthern Baptist teens say they made a com-mitment to live their lives for God, whileonly 32 percent of Episcopalian teens saythe same.
Church attendance increases the likelihoodof committing to live life for God, againespecially for mainline Protestants. Amongmainline Protestant teens as a whole, 50percent report making a commitment to livetheir lives for God, and 70 percent of theregular church attendees say they committedto live their lives for God.
Not all mainline denominations, however,are equally affected by church attendance.For instance, the effects of church atten-dance on commitment to live life for Godare sizable for United Methodist teens butnot very large for Evangelical LutheranChurch in America teens.
Have you ever made a personal commitment to live your life for God?Q30 National Study of Youth and Religion
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Made a Personal Commitment to Live Life for GodU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 88
DOC 53
ECUSA 32
ELCA 56
LCMS 52
PCUSA 56
SBC 80
UMC 59
Blk Bapt 79
COGIC 71
Conservative 77
Mainline 50
Blk Prot 72
All Protestant 69
Unaffiliated 27
All Teens 56
AG 92
ELCA 60
SBC 91
UMC 79
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 88
DOC 53
ECUSA 32
ELCA 56
LCMS 52
PCUSA 56
SBC 80
UMC 59
Blk Bapt 79
COGIC 71
Conservative 77
Mainline 50
Blk Prot 72
All Protestant 69
Unaffiliated 27
All Teens 56
AG 92
ELCA 60
SBC 91
UMC 79
Reading the BibleAbout one-third of Protestant teens (32 percent) report reading the Bible by them-selves once a week or more. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservativeand black Protestant denominations are more likely than teens whose parents areaffiliated with mainline denominations toreport reading the Bible at least once aweek.
Well over 40 percent of Assemblies of Godand Church of God in Christ teens say theyread the Bible alone at least once a weekwhile only 22 percent of Disciples ofChrist and 8 percent of Episcopalian teenssay they read the Bible alone at least oncea week.
Regular church attendance increases thelikelihood of reading the Bible alone formainline and conservative Protestant teens,but it has little or no effect for blackProtestant teens. Among United Methodistteens, for example, 23 percent report read-ing the Bible alone once a week or more,and 34 percent of the regular attendeesreport reading the Bible alone at least oncea week. Similarly, 39 percent of SouthernBaptist teens say they read the Bible aloneat least once a week, and 48 percent of theregularly attending Southern Baptist teenssay the same.
How often, if ever, do you read from the Bible to yourself alone?QPortraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 31
AG 44
DOC 22
ECUSA 8
ELCA 14
LCMS 17
PCUSA 30
SBC 39
UMC 23
Blk Bapt 38
COGIC 48
Conservative 37
Mainline 20
Blk Prot 36
All Protestant 32
Unaffiliated 13
All Teens 26
AG 45
ELCA 19
SBC 48
UMC 34
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Read the Bible Alone Once a Week or More
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
PrayerSixty percent of Protestant teens report praying alone at least a few times a weekwhile only 29 percent of unaffiliated teens report praying alone a few times aweek or more. Although Protestant teens report regular prayer far more often than
unaffiliated teens, fully 40 percent ofProtestant teens say they do not pray aloneat least a few times a week.
Teens whose parents are affiliated withconservative and black Protestant denomi-nations are considerably more likely thanteens whose parents are affiliated withmainline denominations to pray alone atleast a few times a week. Among the high-lighted denominations, 73 percent ofAssemblies of God teens, 75 percent ofblack Baptist teens and 78 percent ofChurch of God in Christ teens report pray-ing a few times a week or more. When itcomes to mainline denominations, only 42percent of the United Methodist teens and31 percent of the Disciples of Christ teenssay they pray at least a few times a week.
Regular church attendance tends toincrease reporting praying alone at least afew times a week, though once more theeffect of church attendance is more pro-nounced for mainline teens. Church atten-dance has little effect on reporting prayingalone for Assemblies of God teens andonly a moderate effect for Southern Baptistteens, though it has a strong effect forUnited Methodist teens.
How often, if ever, do you pray by yourself alone?Q32 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 73
DOC 31
ECUSA 45
ELCA 57
LCMS 52
PCUSA 54
SBC 67
UMC 42
Blk Bapt 75
COGIC 78
Conservative 64
Mainline 46
Blk Prot 67
All Protestant 60
Unaffiliated 29
All Teens 53
AG 74
ELCA 68
SBC 75
UMC 56
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Pray Alone a Few Times a Week or More
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 73
DOC 31
ECUSA 45
ELCA 57
LCMS 52
PCUSA 54
SBC 67
UMC 42
Blk Bapt 75
COGIC 78
Conservative 64
Mainline 46
Blk Prot 67
All Protestant 60
Unaffiliated 29
All Teens 53
AG 74
ELCA 68
SBC 75
UMC 56
Prayer with ParentsAlmost half of all Protestant teens (47 percent) report praying with their parentsother than at mealtimes during the last year, leaving a slight majority who did notpray with their parents. Protestant teenagers do not differ much from all teenagersin their likelihood of praying with theirparents.
Denominational differences are quite pronounced, with teens whose parents areaffiliated with mainline denominationsbeing far less likely to report praying withtheir parents than teens whose parents areaffiliated with conservative or blackProtestant denominations. More than 60percent of the Assemblies of God, blackBaptist and Church of God in Christ teensremember praying with their parents in thelast year, compared to 35 percent or lessof the Episcopalian, Disciples of Christ,Presbyterian Church (USA) and UnitedMethodist teens.
Regular church attendance appears tomoderately increase praying with parentsfor three of the four mainline and conser-vative highlighted denominations com-pared in the figure.
In the last year, have you prayed out loud or silently together with one or bothof your parents, other than at mealtimes or at religious services?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 33
AG 63
DOC 33
ECUSA 35
ELCA 32
LCMS 46
PCUSA 33
SBC 56
UMC 34
Blk Bapt 62
COGIC 70
Conservative 51
Mainline 32
Blk Prot 53
All Protestant 47
Unaffiliated 19
All Teens 42
AG 63
ELCA 37
SBC 64
UMC 44
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Prayed with Parents Other Than atMealtimes in the Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 63
DOC 33
ECUSA 35
ELCA 32
LCMS 46
PCUSA 33
SBC 56
UMC 34
Blk Bapt 62
COGIC 70
Conservative 51
Mainline 32
Blk Prot 53
All Protestant 47
Unaffiliated 19
All Teens 42
AG 63
ELCA 37
SBC 64
UMC 44
Prayer Answered or Guidance from GodFifty-nine percent of Protestant teens say they experienced a definite answer toprayer or specific guidance from God. Teens whose parents are affiliated with con-servative Protestant denominations are more likely than most other Protestant teens
to report having a prayer answered by Godor receiving guidance from God.
Teens whose parents are affiliated with cer-tain black Protestant denominations, howev-er, are also highly likely to report having aprayer answered, such as 76 percent of theblack Baptist teens. On the other hand, only32 percent of Episcopalian teens say theydefinitely had a prayer answered or receivedguidance from God.
Church attendance increases the likelihoodof reporting having a prayer answered, espe-cially for mainline Protestant teens. Forinstance, 49 percent of United Methodistteens say they experienced a definite answerto prayer or specific guidance from Godthough 71 percent of the regularly attendingUnited Methodist teens say the same.
Have you ever experienced a definite answer to prayer or specific guidancefrom God?Q
34 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 57
DOC 44
ECUSA 32
ELCA 56
LCMS 46
PCUSA 59
SBC 66
UMC 49
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 55
Conservative 65
Mainline 46
Blk Prot 60
All Protestant 59
Unaffiliated 24
All Teens 51
AG 61
ELCA 62
SBC 74
UMC 71
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Ever Experienced a Definite Answer toPrayer or Specific Guidance from GodU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 57
DOC 44
ECUSA 32
ELCA 56
LCMS 46
PCUSA 59
SBC 66
UMC 49
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 55
Conservative 65
Mainline 46
Blk Prot 60
All Protestant 59
Unaffiliated 24
All Teens 51
AG 61
ELCA 62
SBC 74
UMC 71
Experience of Spiritual WorshipSixty-two percent of Protestant teens say they had an experience of spiritual worshipthat was very moving and powerful, leaving over one-third who have not had apowerful worship experience. In general, conservative teens are more likely thanboth mainline and black Protestant teensto report having an experience of spiritualworship that was very moving and power-ful, though not every denomination followsthis pattern.
Assemblies of God teenagers are morelikely than most teens to report having hada powerful worship experience, whileDisciples of Christ teens are less likely thanmost other Protestant teens to say they hadan experience of spiritual worship that wasvery moving and powerful. PresbyterianChurch (USA) and Evangelical LutheranChurch in America teens, however, resemble conservative teens by being morelikely than most other teens to report hav-ing a powerful worship experience.
Church attendance increases the likelihoodof reporting experiences of spiritual wor-ship, again for the mainline teens morethan the other Protestant teens. Forinstance, while only 55 percent of UnitedMethodist teens say they had an experi-ence of spiritual worship that was verymoving and powerful, 74 percent of theregularly attending United Methodist teenssay they had a powerful worship experi-ence.
Have you ever had an experience of spiritual worship that was very movingand powerful?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 35
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Ever Had an Experience of Spiritual Worshipthat Was Very Moving and PowerfulU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 76
DOC 33
ECUSA 50
ELCA 79
LCMS 46
PCUSA 70
SBC 70
UMC 55
Blk Bapt 63
COGIC 68
Conservative 69
Mainline 55
Blk Prot 55
All Protestant 62
Unaffiliated 21
All Teens 52
AG 82
ELCA 84
SBC 80
UMC 74
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 76
DOC 33
ECUSA 50
ELCA 79
LCMS 46
PCUSA 70
SBC 70
UMC 55
Blk Bapt 63
COGIC 68
Conservative 69
Mainline 55
Blk Prot 55
All Protestant 62
Unaffiliated 21
All Teens 52
AG 82
ELCA 84
SBC 80
UMC 74
Religious Group at SchoolAlmost a quarter of Protestant teens (23 percent) report participating in a religioussupport or evangelism or prayer group that meets at school in last year, leaving overthree-quarters of Protestant teens who do not participate in school-based religiousgroups.
Teens whose parents are affiliated with con-servative Protestant denominations are mod-erately more likely than teens whose parentsare affiliated with mainline or blackProtestant denominations to say they were ina religious group at school in the last year.For instance, 39 percent of Assemblies ofGod teens and 31 percent of SouthernBaptist teens report school-based religiousgroup activity, compared to 12 percent ofEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americateens, 8 percent of Disciples of Christ teens,15 percent of black Baptist teens and 14 percent of Church of God in Christ teens.
Church attendance appears to moderatelyincrease activity in religious groups at schoolfor mainline and conservative teens.
In the last year, have you been a part of a religious support or evangelism orprayer group that meets at school?Q
36 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 39
DOC 8
ECUSA 18
ELCA 12
LCMS 8
PCUSA 21
SBC 31
UMC 22
Blk Bapt 15
COGIC 14
Conservative 26
Mainline 19
Blk Prot 18
All Protestant 23
Unaffiliated 8
All Teens 18
AG 46
ELCA 16
SBC 36
UMC 27
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Participated in a Religious Group that Meets at School in the Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
Express Religious Beliefs at SchoolSlightly over one-half of all Protestant teens (53 percent) report expressing theirreligious beliefs at school some or a lot, which suggests that almost one-half ofProtestant teens do not talk about their religious viewpoints at school. Teenswhose parents are affiliated with conserva-tive and black Protestant denominationsare more likely than teens whose parentsare affiliated with mainline denominationsto say they express religious beliefs atschool some or a lot.
About 60 percent of Assemblies of Godteens, Southern Baptist teens and blackBaptist teens say they express religiousbeliefs at school, and almost three-quartersof Church of God in Christ teens reportexpressing religious beliefs at school. Onthe other hand, only 23 percent ofDisciples of Christ teens and 27 percent ofEpiscopalian teens say they express reli-gious beliefs at school some or a lot.Presbyterian Church (USA) teens differfrom most other mainline teens, with 86percent reporting expressing religiousbeliefs at school some or a lot.
Regular church attendance moderatelyincreases the likelihood of expressing religious beliefs at school for mainlineteens, but it has little effect for conserva-tive and black Protestant teens.
How much, if at all, do you openly express your religious beliefs at school?QPortraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 37
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Express Religious Beliefs at School Some or A LotU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 60
DOC 23
ECUSA 27
ELCA 41
LCMS 47
PCUSA 86
SBC 59
UMC 41
Blk Bapt 58
COGIC 74
Conservative 56
Mainline 42
Blk Prot 57
All Protestant 53
Unaffiliated 40
All Teens 48
AG 57
ELCA 51
SBC 62
UMC 50
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 60
DOC 23
ECUSA 27
ELCA 41
LCMS 47
PCUSA 86
SBC 59
UMC 41
Blk Bapt 58
COGIC 74
Conservative 56
Mainline 42
Blk Prot 57
All Protestant 53
Unaffiliated 40
All Teens 48
AG 57
ELCA 51
SBC 62
UMC 50
Family Talks About Religious ThingsA little over half of all Protestant teens (53 percent) report that their families talkabout God, the scriptures, prayer or other religious or spiritual things together oncea week or more, leaving almost half of Protestant teens who do not regularly discuss
spiritual things with their families. Protestantteens are, however, far more likely thanunaffiliated teens to discuss religious or spiri-tual matters with their families.
Teens whose parents are affiliated with con-servative and black Protestant denominationsare about twice as likely as teens whose par-ents are affiliated with mainline denomina-tions to report talking about spiritual thingswith their families. For instance, 84 percentof Assemblies of God teens and 76 percentof black Baptist teens say they talk aboutspiritual things with their families at leastonce a week, compared to only 31 percentof United Methodist teens.
Church attendance tends to increase the like-lihood of discussing spiritual things withone’s family. While 53 percent of Protestantteens report discussing spiritual things withtheir families once a week or more, 66 per-cent of regularly attending Protestant teenssay the same. Among the highlighteddenominations, the effect of church atten-dance is fairly strong for Southern Baptistand United Methodists teens but only mod-erate for Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica and Assemblies of God teens.
How often, if ever, does your family talk about God, the scriptures, prayer, orother religious or spiritual things together?Q
38 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 84
DOC 42
ECUSA 27
ELCA 39
LCMS 48
PCUSA 36
SBC 61
UMC 31
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 70
Conservative 59
Mainline 30
Blk Prot 66
All Protestant 53
Unaffiliated 16
All Teens 45
AG 90
ELCA 43
SBC 71
UMC 42
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Family Talks About Religious Things Once a Week or MoreU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 84
DOC 42
ECUSA 27
ELCA 39
LCMS 48
PCUSA 36
SBC 61
UMC 31
Blk Bapt 76
COGIC 70
Conservative 59
Mainline 30
Blk Prot 66
All Protestant 53
Unaffiliated 16
All Teens 45
AG 90
ELCA 43
SBC 71
UMC 42
Publicly Spoken About Faith in Religious Service or Meeting
Less than half of all Protestant teens (41 percent) say they publicly spoke abouttheir faith in a religious service or meeting in the last year. Teens whose parentsare affiliated with conservative denomina-tions are more likely to report speakingabout faith in a religious service than areteens whose parents are affiliated withmainline or black Protestant denomina-tions. For instance, 59 percent ofAssemblies of God teens say they spokeabout their faith in a religious meeting inthe last year, compared to 33 percent ofblack Baptist teens, 32 percent ofEpiscopalian and Presbyterian Church(USA) teens and 27 percent of Disciples ofChrist teens.
Regular church attendance only slightlyincreases the likelihood of speaking pub-licly about faith for most conservativeteens, but it moderately increases the like-lihood for most mainline teens. Thirty-seven percent of all United Methodistsand 49 percent of the regularly attendingUnited Methodists, for example, say theyspoke about their faith in religious servicesor meetings, yet the effect of church atten-dance is small and inconsistent forEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americaand Southern Baptist teens.
In the last year, have you publicly spoken about your faith in a religious service or meeting?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 39
AG 59
DOC 27
ECUSA 32
ELCA 37
LCMS 51
PCUSA 32
SBC 45
UMC 37
Blk Bapt 33
COGIC 50
Conservative 45
Mainline 34
Blk Prot 36
All Protestant 41
Unaffiliated 24
All Teens 36
AG 63
ELCA 32
SBC 50
UMC 49
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Publicly Spoken About Faith in ReligiousService in the Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 59
DOC 27
ECUSA 32
ELCA 37
LCMS 51
PCUSA 32
SBC 45
UMC 37
Blk Bapt 33
COGIC 50
Conservative 45
Mainline 34
Blk Prot ` 36
All Protestant 41
Unaffiliated 24
All Teens 36
AG 63
ELCA 32
SBC 50
UMC 49
Shared Faith with Person not of their FaithA slight majority of Protestant teens (54 percent) report having shared their reli-gious faith with someone not of their faith in the last year. Teens whose parentsare affiliated with conservative and mainline denominations are more likely than
teens whose parents are affiliated withblack Protestant denominations to reportsharing their faith.
Seventy-seven percent of the MissouriSynod Lutheran teens, 67 percent of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americateens and 65 percent of the PresbyterianChurch (USA) teens report sharing theirreligious faith with someone, compared toonly 41 percent of the black Baptist teens.
Regular church attendance appears toslightly increase the likelihood of sharingfaith with someone for most Protestantteens though it slightly decreases the like-lihood of sharing faith for EvangelicalLutheran Church in America teens.
In the last year, have you shared your own religious faith with someone elsenot of your faith?Q
40 National Study of Youth and Religion
AG 55
DOC 42
ECUSA 47
ELCA 67
LCMS 77
PCUSA 65
SBC 56
UMC 43
Blk Bapt 41
COGIC 52
Conservative 59
Mainline 54
Blk Prot 45
All Protestant 54
Unaffiliated 43
All Teens 53
AG 63
ELCA 62
SBC 59
UMC 50
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Shared Faith with Person not of their Faith in the Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 55
DOC 42
ECUSA 47
ELCA 67
LCMS 77
PCUSA 65
SBC 56
UMC 43
Blk Bapt 41
COGIC 52
Conservative 59
Mainline 54
Blk Prot 45
All Protestant 54
Unaffiliated 43
All Teens 53
AG 63
ELCA 62
SBC 59
UMC 50
Church Is Usually Warm and WelcomingSeventy-nine percent of Protestant teens who report attending religious servicesmore than a few times a year (not counting weddings, baptisms, funerals andyouth group meetings) say their churches usually feel warm and welcoming forthem. Note that this measure, and mostother measures of how teens evaluatetheir churches, was only asked of teenswho report attending church (or syna-gogue, temple, mosque, etc.) more than afew times a year.
Apparently, most teens who attend reli-gious services more than a few times ayear feel that their congregations arewarm and welcoming; even 74 percent ofteens with unaffiliated parents say so.There is not much difference betweenteens in the different Protestant traditionsin viewing their churches as warm andwelcoming. Among the specific denomi-nations, however, there is some variation.For instance, while 93 percent ofPresbyterian Church (USA) teens and 91percent of Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica teens report that their churchesusually feel warm and welcoming, only69 percent of teens whose parents areEpiscopalian say the same.
Protestant teens who regularly attendchurch (at least two or three times amonth) are slightly more likely than otherProtestant teens to say that their churchesare usually warm and welcoming.
Does your church feel like a warm and welcoming place for you, usually,sometimes, rarely, or never?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 41
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Church Usually Feels Warm and Welcoming
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 83
DOC 81
ECUSA 69
ELCA 91
LCMS 84
PCUSA 93
SBC 81
UMC 78
Blk Bapt 89
COGIC 71
Conservative 79
Mainline 82
Blk Prot 75
All Protestant 79
Unaffiliated 74
All Teens 75
AG 87
ELCA 89
SBC 82
UMC 80
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.
AG 83
DOC 81
ECUSA 69
ELCA 91
LCMS 84
PCUSA 93
SBC 81
UMC 78
Blk Bapt 89
COGIC 71
Conservative 79
Mainline 82
Blk Prot 75
All Protestant 79
Unaffiliated 74
All Teens 75
AG 87
ELCA 89
SBC 82
UMC 80
Church Is Usually BoringTwelve percent of Protestant teens who attend religious services more than a fewtimes a year say that church is usually boring. The differences between Protestanttraditions are not too large, though teens whose parents are affiliated with conserva-tive Protestant denominations are somewhat less likely than teens whose parents are
affiliated with mainline and black Protestantdenominations to report that church is usually boring.
At the high end among the specific denomi-nations, 24 percent of United Methodistteens say that church is usually boring. Atthe low end, only 5 percent of Disciples ofChrist teens report that their churches areusually boring.
Protestant teens who regularly attend churchare slightly less likely than other Protestantteens to report that their churches are usuallyboring. For instance, while 24 percent ofUnited Methodist teens say their churchesare boring, 18 percent of the regularlyattending United Methodist teens say theirchurches are boring.
Is your church boring to you, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never?Q42 National Study of Youth and Religion
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Church Is Usually Boring
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.
AG 11
ELCA 13
SBC 8
UMC 18
AG 13
DOC 5
ECUSA 8
ELCA 11
LCMS 9
PCUSA 10
SBC 9
UMC 24
Blk Bapt 7
COGIC 14
Conservative 11
Mainline 15
Blk Prot 14
All Protestant 12
Unaffiliated 24
All Teens 15
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 whodo not think that church usually makes themthink about important things.
On the whole, teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative denominationsare somewhat more likely than most otherProtestant teens to report that church usuallymakes them think about important things.Among the highlighted denominations,Assemblies of God and Presbyterian Church(USA) teens who attend church more than afew times a year are the most likely to saythat church usually makes them think aboutimportant things, each with over 80 percent.On the other hand, less than one-half ofEpiscopalian teens who attend church morethan a few times a year (46 percent) say thatchurch usually makes them think aboutimportant things.
The effect of regular church attendance onteens saying that church usually makes themthink about important things varies betweendenominations. While United Methodistteens who regularly attend church are mod-erately more likely than other UnitedMethodist teens to say church usually makesthem think about important things,Evangelical Lutheran Church in Americateens who regularly attend church are slight-ly less likely than all Evangelical LutheranChurch in America teens who attend morethan 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,rarely or never?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 43
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Church Usually Makes Teen Think AboutImportant ThingsU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
LCMS 67
AG 87
ELCA 65
SBC 67
UMC 64
AG 85
DOC 62
ECUSA 46
ELCA 69
PCUSA 83
SBC 64
UMC 55
Blk Bapt 59
COGIC 65
Conservative 69
Mainline 60
Blk Prot 63
All Protestant 65
Unaffiliated 46
All Teens 63
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.
LCMS 67
AG 85
DOC 62
ECUSA 46
ELCA 69
PCUSA 83
SBC 64
UMC 55
Blk Bapt 59
COGIC 65
Conservative 69
Mainline 60
Blk Prot 63
All Protestant 65
Unaffiliated 46
All Teens 63
AG 87
ELCA 65
SBC 67
UMC 64
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.Teens whose parents are affiliated with blackProtestant and especially conservativeProtestant denominations are generally morelikely than teens whose parents are affiliatedwith mainline denominations to say thatchurch is a very good place to talk aboutserious issues.
Among the specific denominations, 65 per-cent of Church of God in Christ teens and57 percent of both Assemblies of God andSouthern Baptist teens say that church is avery good place to talk about serious issues,while only 31 percent of Episcopalian and34 percent of United Methodist teens agreethat church is a very good place to talkabout serious issues.
Regular church attendance slightly increasesthe chances of teens saying that church is avery good place to talk about serious issueslike family problems, alcohol or troubles atschool.
How good or not good a place is your church to go if you wanted to talkabout serious issues like family problems, alcohol or troubles at school?Q
44 National Study of Youth and Religion
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Church Is a Very Good Place to Talk AboutSerious IssuesU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.
AG 58
ELCA 55
SBC 60
UMC 37
AG 57
DOC 43
ECUSA 31
ELCA 49
LCMS 39
PCUSA 48
SBC 57
UMC 34
Blk Bapt 37
COGIC 65
Conservative 53
Mainline 39
Blk Prot 49
All Protestant 49
Unaffiliated 34
All Teens 45
AG 57
DOC 43
ECUSA 31
ELCA 49
LCMS 39
PCUSA 48
SBC 57
UMC 34
Blk Bapt 37
COGIC 65
Conservative 53
Mainline 39
Blk Prot 49
All Protestant 49
Unaffiliated 34
All Teens 45
AG 58
ELCA 55
SBC 60
UMC 37
Adults in Teen’s Church Are Somewhat orVery Easy to Talk with and Get to Know
Eighty-one percent of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times ayear report that adults in their churches are somewhat or very easy to talk with andget to know. There is little variationbetween the Protestant traditions in teens’likelihood of saying that adults in theirchurches are somewhat or very easy to talkwith and get to know.
There are, however, differences betweenthe specific denominations. At the highend, 93 percent of Presbyterian Church(USA) teens report that adults in theirchurches are easy to talk with and get toknow. At the low end, only 58 percent ofEpiscopalian teens say that adults in theirchurches are somewhat or very easy to talkwith and get to know.
Protestant teens who regularly attendchurch are generally not any more likelythan other Protestant teens to report thatadults in their churches are somewhat orvery easy to talk with and get to know.
When you think about most of the adults in your church, how easy or hard arethey to talk with and get to know?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 45
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Adults at Church Are Somewhat or Very Easyto Talk with and Get to KnowU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
DOC 82
ECUSA 58
ELCA 82
LCMS 67
PCUSA 93
SBC 86
UMC 83
Blk Bapt 78
COGIC 62
Conservative 81
Mainline 82
Blk Prot 80
All Protestant 81
Unaffiliated 91
All Teens 80
ELCA 79
SBC 86
UMC 87
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.
AG 81
AG 82
ELCA 79
SBC 86
UMC 87
AG 82
DOC 82
ECUSA 58
ELCA 82
LCMS 67
PCUSA 93
SBC 86
UMC 83
Blk Bapt 78
COGIC 62
Conservative 81
Mainline 82
Blk Prot 80
All Protestant 81
Unaffiliated 91
All Teens 80
AG 81
Adults in Congregation Are HypocritesSeven percent of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times ayear say they think of most or all adults in their congregations as hypocrites. Onthe whole, teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominations
are somewhat more likely than teenswhose parents are affiliated with conserva-tive and mainline denominations to reportthat most or all adults in their congrega-tions are hypocrites.
Among the highlighted denominations, 15percent of black Baptist teens and 35 per-cent of Episcopalian teens who attendchurch more than a few times a year saythat most or all adults in their congrega-tions are hypocrites while only 2 percentof the Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica teens and none of thePresbyterian Church (USA) teens in theNSYR sample agree that most or all adultsin their congregations are hypocrites.
Regular church attendance has little effecton reporting that most or all adults in theteens’ congregations are hypocrites.
About how many, if any, of the adults in your church do you tend to think ofas hypocrites?Q
46 National Study of Youth and Religion
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Most or All Adults in Congregation AreHypocritesU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.
AG 9
DOC 5
ECUSA 35
ELCA 2
LCMS 9
PCUSA 0
SBC 7
UMC 8
Blk Bapt 15
COGIC 5
Conservative 6
Mainline 7
Blk Prot 10
All Protestant 7
Unaffiliated 8
All Teens 7
AG 6
ELCA 3
SBC 6
UMC 9
Teens in Congregation Are HypocritesTwelve percent of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times ayear say they think of most or all teens in their congregations as hypocrites. Ingeneral, teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominationsare somewhat more likely than teenswhose parents are affiliated with conserva-tive denominations to report that most orall teens in their congregations are hypocrites.
There are also sizable differences betweenthe specific denominations. None of thePresbyterian Church (USA) teens in theNSYR sample say that most or all teens intheir churches are hypocrites, just as noneof them reported that adults in theirchurches are hypocrites. On the otherhand, 28 percent of teens whose parentsare Episcopalian say they think of most or all teens in their congregations as hypocrites.
Similar to viewing adults as hypocrites,regular church attendance has little effecton whether teens view other teens in thechurch as hypocrites.
About how many, if any, of the teenagers in your church do you tend to thinkof as hypocrites?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 47
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Most or All Teens in Congregation AreHypocritesU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.
AG 9
DOC 5
ECUSA 28
ELCA 7
LCMS 6
PCUSA 0
SBC 12
UMC 17
Blk Bapt 15
COGIC 5
Conservative 10
Mainline 12
Blk Prot 15
All Protestant 12
Unaffiliated 15
All Teens 11
AG 11
ELCA 8
SBC 13
UMC 17
Opportunities for Teen Involvement in Church
Eighty-six percent of Protestant teens who attend church more than a few times ayear say there are regular opportunities in their churches for teenagers to get
involved in religious services, such as read-ing scripture or praying out loud. Mostteenagers who attend church more than afew times a year agree that there are regularopportunities for teen involvement in theirchurches, with 84 percent of all teens agreeing and even 74 percent of teens withunaffiliated parents agreeing.
There is little variation among the Protestanttraditions in teens’ views that there areopportunities for teen involvement inchurch. Among the specific denominations,at the high end 96 percent of teens whoseparents are Episcopalian say that there areregular opportunities in their churches forteenagers to get involved in religious serviceswhile at the low end, 79 percent of MissouriSynod Lutheran teens say the same.
Regular church attendance has almost noeffect on a Protestant teen’s likelihood ofsaying that there are opportunities in his orher church for teenagers to get involved inreligious services, such as reading scriptureor praying out loud.
Are there any regular opportunities in your church for teenagers to get involvedin religious services, such as reading scripture or praying out loud?Q
48 National Study of Youth and Religion
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Regular Opportunities for Teens to Be Involved in Religious ServicesU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
DOC 80
ECUSA 96
ELCA 84
LCMS 79
PCUSA 86
SBC 88
UMC 80
Blk Bapt 81
COGIC 91
Conservative 86
Mainline 84
Blk Prot 86
All Protestant 86
Unaffiliated 74
All Teens 84
ELCA 87
SBC 87
UMC 81
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.
AG 85
AG 84
ELCA 87
SBC 87
UMC 81
AG 84
DOC 80
ECUSA 96
ELCA 84
LCMS 79
PCUSA 86
SBC 88
UMC 80
Blk Bapt 81
COGIC 91
Conservative 86
Mainline 84
Blk Prot 86
All Protestant 86
Unaffiliated 74
All Teens 84
AG 85
Would Attend the Same ChurchEighty-seven percent of Protestant teens who attend religious services more thanonce or twice a year report that they would go to the same church if it were totallyup to them, rather than go to a different church or not go to church at all. Teens ingeneral appear fairly satisfied with their congregations in this sense, with 84 percentof all teens who attend religious servicesmore than once or twice a year saying theywould go to the same congregation if itwere totally up to them.
Teens whose parents are affiliated with con-servative denominations are somewhatmore likely than teens whose parents areaffiliated with mainline denominations tosay they would like to attend the samechurch if it were up to them. Among thehighlighted denominations, 90 percent ormore of teens whose parents are affiliatedwith the Assemblies of God, the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America, the LutheranChurch Missouri Synod, the SouthernBaptist Convention and the Church of Godin Christ report that they would go to thesame church if it were totally up to them.Conversely, only 67 percent of allPresbyterian Church (USA) teens say theywould go to the same church if it weretotally up to them.
For most, though not all, Protestant denomi-nations, regular church attendance has littleeffect on teens saying that they would go tothe same church if it were totally up tothem. For United Methodist teens, however,regular church attendance does lead themto be somewhat more likely to report thatthey would like to attend the same church ifgiven the choice.
If it were totally up to you, would you go to the same church that you go tonow, a different religious congregation, or would you not go to religious services at all? Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 49
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Would Go to the Same Church if it WereTotally up to TeenU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
DOC 81
ECUSA 82
ELCA 94
LCMS 95
PCUSA 67
SBC 90
UMC 83
Blk Bapt 85
COGIC 91
Conservative 88
Mainline 84
Blk Prot 87
All Protestant 87
Unaffiliated 74
All Teens 84
ELCA 95
SBC 92
UMC 89
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,223.
AG 90
AG 90
ELCA 95
SBC 92
UMC 89
AG 90
DOC 81
ECUSA 82
ELCA 94
LCMS 95
PCUSA 67
SBC 90
UMC 83
Blk Bapt 85
COGIC 91
Conservative 88
Mainline 84
Blk Prot 87
All Protestant 87
Unaffiliated 74
All Teens 84
AG 90
Parent’s View that Church Has Been Very orExtremely Helpful in Raising their Teen
Sixty-two percent of Protestant parents who attend church at least a few times a yearsay that their churches have been very or extremely supportive and helpful for them
as parents trying to raise their teens. This, ofcourse, means that over a third of Protestantparents who attend church at least a fewtimes a year think that their churches havenot been helpful in raising their teens.
Parents who are affiliated with conservativeand black Protestant traditions are consider-ably more likely than mainline parents toreport that their churches have been very orextremely helpful in raising their teens.Seventy percent or more of Assemblies ofGod, Disciples of Christ, black Baptist andChurch of God in Christ parents who attendchurch at least a few times a year say thattheir churches have been very or extremelyhelpful in raising their teens. Conversely, 50percent or less of Episcopalian, PresbyterianChurch (USA) and United Methodist parentswho attend church at least a few times ayear report that their churches have beenvery or extremely helpful in raising theirteens.
Protestant parents, particularly mainline par-ents, with teens who regularly attend churchare often more likely than other Protestantparents to report that their churches havebeen very or extremely supportive and help-ful for them as parents trying to raise theirteens. In other words, if the teen does notparticipate in church much, then the parentsare less likely to see the church as helpful.
How supportive and helpful would you say your church has been for you as aparent trying to raise [teen’s name]?Q
50 National Study of Youth and Religion
Parents of Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Church Has Been Very or Extremely Helpful for Parent Trying to Raise TeenParents of U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,845.
Unaffiliated NA
ELCA 57
SBC 69
UMC 63
AG 76
AG 79
DOC 74
ECUSA 47
ELCA 54
LCMS 52
PCUSA 50
SBC 66
UMC 49
Blk Bapt 70
COGIC 73
Conservative 65
Mainline 51
Blk Prot 67
All Protestant 62
All Teens 57
AG 79
DOC 74
ECUSA 47
ELCA 54
LCMS 52
PCUSA 50
SBC 66
UMC 49
Blk Bapt 70
COGIC 73
Conservative 65
Mainline 51
Blk Prot 67
All Protestant 62
All Teens 57
ELCA 57
SBC 69
UMC 63
AG 76
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 timesa year (73 percent) say that ministry toteens is a very important priority in theirchurches, suggesting that over a quarter ofProtestant parents feel that their churchesare not placing a high priority on ministryto teens. Parents who are affiliated withconservative and especially blackProtestant denominations are generally farmore likely than mainline parents toreport that ministry to teens is very important in their churches.
Eighty percent or more of Assemblies ofGod, Southern Baptist, black Baptist andChurch if God in Christ parents whoattend church at least a few times a yearsay that ministry to teens is a very important priority in their churches. Onthe other hand, only 41 percent ofEpiscopalian parents and 42 percent ofMissouri Synod Lutheran parents reportthat ministry to teens is a very importantpriority in their churches.
Teens’ church attendance appears to havelittle effect on their parents’ view that ministry to teens is a very important priority in their churches.
Would you say that at your church, ministry to teenagers is a very importantpriority, a fairly important priority, a somewhat important priority, a low priori-ty, or not a priority at all?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 51
Parents of Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Ministry to Teens Is a Very Important Priority in Parent’s ChurchParents of U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Blk Prot 80
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=2,845.
ELCA 54
SBC 79
UMC 62
AG 87
DOC 70
ECUSA 41
ELCA 57
LCMS 42
PCUSA 62
SBC 80
UMC 58
Blk Bapt 82
COGIC 91
Conservative 76
Mainline 58
All Protestant 73
Unaffiliated NA
All Teens 66
AG 86
Blk Prot 80
DOC 70
ECUSA 41
ELCA 57
LCMS 42
PCUSA 62
SBC 80
UMC 58
Blk Bapt 82
COGIC 91
Conservative 76
Mainline 58
AG 86
All Protestant 73
All Teens 66
ELCA 54
SBC 79
UMC 62
AG 87
Moral RelativismForty-one percent of Protestant teenagers say they agree that morals are relative, thatthere are no definite rights and wrongs for everybody. Half of all teens whose par-ents are affiliated with mainline denominations agree that morals are relative, while
37 percent of teens whose parents are affili-ated with conservative denominations and36 percent of teens whose parents are affili-ated with black Protestant denominationsagree that morals are relative.
With 66 percent agreeing that morals are rel-ative, unaffiliated teens are more likely thanProtestant teens to be moral relativists.Among the specific denominations, only 17percent of Church of God in Christ and 24percent of Assemblies of God teens agreethat morals are relative while at least half ofall Disciples of Christ, Episcopalian,Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,Missouri Synod Lutheran and UnitedMethodist teens agree that morals are relative.
Regular church-attending Protestants aresomewhat less likely than all Protestant teensto agree that morals are relative.
Some people say that morals are relative, that there are no definite rights andwrongs for everybody. Do you agree or disagree?Q
52 National Study of Youth and Religion
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Agree that Morals Are Relative, that there AreNo Definite Rights and Wrongs for EverybodyU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 24
DOC 52
ECUSA 54
ELCA 52
LCMS 50
PCUSA 49
SBC 41
UMC 52
Blk Bapt 43
COGIC 17
Conservative 37
Mainline 50
Blk Prot 36
All Protestant 41
Unaffiliated 66
All Teens 45
AG 21
ELCA 43
SBC 37
UMC 48
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 24
DOC 52
ECUSA 54
ELCA 52
LCMS 50
PCUSA 49
SBC 41
UMC 52
Blk Bapt 43
COGIC 17
Conservative 37
Mainline 50
Blk Prot 36
All Protestant 41
Unaffiliated 66
All Teens 45
AG 21
ELCA 43
SBC 37
UMC 48
Confusion over Right and WrongFewer than one in five Protestant teens say they sometimes feel confused aboutwhat is right and wrong, as opposed to usually having a good idea of what is rightand wrong in most situations. There is little difference in moral clarity between thedifferent major Protestant traditions, andthere is little difference between Protestantteens, unaffiliated teens and all teens.
There are, however, some differencesbetween the specific Protestant denomina-tions. Only 6 percent of Episcopalian teensand 9 percent of Missouri Synod Lutheranteens say they sometimes feel confusedabout what is right and wrong. On theother hand, 23 percent of Church of Godin Christ teens, 24 percent of SouthernBaptist teens and 25 percent of Disciplesof Christ teens report that they sometimesfeel confused about what is right andwrong.
Regular church attendance appears to havelittle effect on stemming confusion overright and wrong; in fact, for some denomi-nations, the regularly attending teens areslightly more likely to express feeling con-fusion over right and wrong. Perhaps someattending teens are paying more attentionto issues of right and wrong.
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 situations?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 53
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Sometimes Feel Confused About What Is Right and WrongU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 14
DOC 25
ECUSA 6
ELCA 18
LCMS 9
PCUSA 10
SBC 24
UMC 19
Blk Bapt 17
COGIC 23
Conservative 19
Mainline 18
Blk Prot 22
All Protestant 19
Unaffiliated 16
All Teens 20
AG 8
ELCA 22
SBC 27
UMC 17
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
Sexual Abstinence before MarriageSixty-three percent of all Protestant teens say they think that people should wait tohave sex until they are married while only 38 percent of unaffiliated teens believe insexual abstinence before marriage. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conserva-
tive Protestant denominations are particularlylikely to say that people should wait to havesex until they are married. Eighty-two per-cent of Church of God in Christ teens and 80percent of Assemblies of God teens reportsupporting sexual abstinence before mar-riage, compared to half of the UnitedMethodist teens and only 40 percent of theEpiscopalian teens.
For mainline and conservative Protestantteens, regular church attendance appears toincrease support for sexual abstinence beforemarriage. For instance, while 66 percent ofall Southern Baptist teens say they think thatpeople should wait to have sex until they aremarried, 76 percent of the regularly attend-ing Southern Baptist teens say they supportsexual abstinence before marriage.
Do you think that people should wait to have sex until they are married, or notnecessarily?Q
54 National Study of Youth and Religion
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
People Should Wait to Have Sex until TheyAre MarriedU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 80
DOC 67
ECUSA 40
ELCA 52
LCMS 63
PCUSA 63
SBC 66
UMC 50
Blk Bapt 63
COGIC 82
Conservative 72
Mainline 50
Blk Prot 54
All Protestant 63
Unaffiliated 38
All Teens 56
AG 81
ELCA 57
SBC 76
UMC 66
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 80
DOC 67
ECUSA 40
ELCA 52
LCMS 63
PCUSA 63
SBC 66
UMC 50
Blk Bapt 63
COGIC 82
Conservative 72
Mainline 50
Blk Prot 54
All Protestant 63
Unaffiliated 38
All Teens 56
AG 81
ELCA 57
SBC 76
UMC 66
Sexual IntercourseAlmost one-fifth of Protestant teenagers report engaging in sexual intercourse in thelast year. Mainline teens appear slightly less likely to have had sex in the last yearthan conservative teens, though black Protestant teens are more likely than bothmainline and conservative teens to haveengaged in sexual intercourse. More than20 percent of Southern Baptist, blackBaptist and Church of God in Christ teensreport having sex in the last year.
On the other hand, five percent or less ofDisciples of Christ, Evangelical LutheranChurch in America and PresbyterianChurch (USA) teens report engaging in sex-ual activity in the last year. Factors such asrace, social status, age and gender normal-ly play a role in affecting teen sexual activity. For instance, race influ-ences the denominational differences —teens who are affiliated with denomina-tions that have a greater than average pro-portion of black adherents are more likelyto report engaging in sexual intercourse.
Regularly attending Protestant teens aregenerally less likely to have sex than areall Protestant teens. Additionally, the viewthat people should wait for marriagebefore having sex appears to be related towhether or not teens actually have sex, butthere is still some discrepancy. Church ofGod in Christ teens, for example, are morelikely than most teens to say that peopleshould wait until marriage before havingsex, but they are also more likely thanmost other teens to report having sex.
When was the last time you had sexual intercourse? (Asked only of thoseteenagers who said they have ever engaged in sexual intercourse.)Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 55
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Engaged in Sexual Intercourse in the Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 16
DOC 3
ECUSA 19
ELCA 5
LCMS 15
PCUSA 0
SBC 23
UMC 17
Blk Bapt 21
COGIC 23
Conservative 18
Mainline 15
Blk Prot 26
All Protestant 19
Unaffiliated 22
All Teens 19
AG 11
ELCA 0
SBC 20
UMC 12
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
56 National Study of Youth and Religion
Cheating in SchoolSixty-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 inschool. There is little variation in cheating between the different major Protestant
traditions.
There is, however, a fair amount of variationbetween the specific denominations. At thehigh end, 80 percent of Missouri SynodLutheran teens and 82 percent of Church ofGod in Christ teens report cheating in schoolin the last year. At the low end, 60 percentor less of Assemblies of God, EvangelicalLutheran Church in America, SouthernBaptist and United Methodist teens say theycheated in school in the last year.
Regular church attendance has varyingeffects on cheating. For instance, regularattendance tends to increase cheating forAssemblies of God teens and it tends todecrease cheating for Evangelical LutheranChurch in America teens.
In the last year, how often, if ever, did you cheat on a test, assignment, orhomework in school?Q
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Cheated in School in the Last Year
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 59
DOC 67
ECUSA 71
ELCA 58
LCMS 80
PCUSA 78
SBC 58
UMC 60
Blk Bapt 69
COGIC 82
Conservative 62
Mainline 65
Blk Prot 62
All Protestant 63
Unaffiliated 58
All Teens 62
AG 66
ELCA 53
SBC 59
UMC 63
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 59
DOC 67
ECUSA 71
ELCA 58
LCMS 80
PCUSA 78
SBC 58
UMC 60
Blk Bapt 69
COGIC 82
Conservative 62
Mainline 65
Blk Prot 62
All Protestant 63
Unaffiliated 58
All Teens 62
AG 66
ELCA 53
SBC 59
UMC 63
Lying to ParentsNine percent of Protestant teens say they lied to their parents fairly often or veryoften in the previous year. There is little variation between the major Protestanttraditions in lying to parents, though there are some differences between the specific denominations.
For instance, 13 percent of Church of Godin Christ teens report lying to their parentsin the last year while only four percent ofAssemblies of God teens say they lied totheir parents.
Regular church attendance appears tohave little effect on lying to parents formany Protestant teens though it moderately decreases lying among United Methodist teens.
In the last year, how often, if ever, did you lie to your parents?QPortraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 57
Lied to Parents Fairly or Very Often in the Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 4
DOC 6
ECUSA 8
ELCA 5
LCMS 11
PCUSA 7
SBC 9
UMC 10
Blk Bapt 10
COGIC 13
Conservative 9
Mainline 8
Blk Prot 9
All Protestant 9
Unaffiliated 11
All Teens 10
AG 3
ELCA 3
SBC 9
UMC 6
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
58 National Study of Youth and Religion
Drinking AlcoholEleven percent of Protestant teens report drinking alcohol a few times a month ormore, compared to 16 percent of unaffiliated teens. Teens whose parents are affiliatedwith mainline denominations are somewhat more likely than other Protestant teens tosay they drink alcohol at least a few times a month.
Twenty-three percent of teens whose parentsare Episcopalian, for example, say they drinkalcohol a few times a month or more.Nevertheless, teens whose parents are affili-ated with the mainline Presbyterian Church(USA) are the least likely to drink alcohol,with none of the Presbyterian Church (USA)teens in the NSYR sample saying they drinkalcohol a few times a month or more.
Regular church attendance appears to leadto slightly less alcohol consumption amongProtestant teenagers.
How often, if at all, do you drink alcohol, such as beer, wine or mixed drinks,not including at religious services?Q
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Drink Alcohol a Few Times a Month or More
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 8
DOC 6
ECUSA 23
ELCA 13
LCMS 7
PCUSA 0
SBC 9
UMC 14
Blk Bapt 10
COGIC 13
Conservative 10
Mainline 13
Blk Prot 9
All Protestant 11
Unaffiliated 16
All Teens 12
AG 8
ELCA 11
SBC 8
UMC 12
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
Smoking CigarettesSeven percent of Protestant teens say they smoke at least one cigarette a day. Teenswhose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominations are less likely thanmost other Protestant teens to report smoking cigarettes.
Among the specific denominations, 2 per-cent of Episcopalian and Missouri SynodLutheran teens and 3 percent of blackBaptist teens say they smoke at least onecigarette a day while 12 percent ofAssemblies of God and 13 percent ofDisciples of Christ teens report doing so.
Regular church attendance for specificdenominations appears to have little effecton teens’ likelihood of smoking cigarettes.
Do you smoke cigarettes regularly, that is, at least one cigarette a day, or not?QPortraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 59
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Smoke at Least One Cigarette a Day
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 12
DOC 13
ECUSA 2
ELCA 9
LCMS 2
PCUSA 5
SBC 7
UMC 4
Blk Bapt 3
COGIC 9
Conservative 9
Mainline 7
Blk Prot 4
All Protestant 7
Unaffiliated 11
All Teens 7
AG 13
ELCA 8
SBC 5
UMC 2
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
60 National Study of Youth and Religion
Using MarijuanaTen percent of Protestant teens report that they use marijuana occasionally or regularly. There is little variation in smoking marijuana among the majorProtestant traditions, though there are differences among the specific denomi-
nations. Twenty-six percent of Church ofGod in Christ teens and 15 percent ofEpiscopalian teens say they use marijuanaat least occasionally.
Conversely, only 4 percent of EvangelicalLutheran Church in America teens and 2percent of Missouri Synod Lutheran teensreport using marijuana occasionally or regularly. Regular church attendance tendsto decrease the likelihood of smoking mar-ijuana for United Methodist teens, but ithas little effect for most other Protestantteens.
How often, if ever, have you used marijuana?Q
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Use Marijuana Occasionally or Regularly
U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
AG 10
DOC 9
ECUSA 15
ELCA 4
LCMS 2
PCUSA 10
SBC 9
UMC 10
Blk Bapt 7
COGIC 26
Conservative 9
Mainline 11
Blk Prot 10
All Protestant 10
Unaffiliated 13
All Teens 11
AG 8
ELCA 3
SBC 8
UMC 2
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
Volunteering and Community ServiceThirty percent of Protestant teens say they did organized volunteer work or commu-nity service at least occasionally in the previous year, slightly less than the percentof all teenagers reporting volunteering at least occasionally in the previous year.Teens whose parents are affiliated withmainline denominations are somewhatmore likely than teens whose parents areaffiliated with conservative denominationsto say they volunteered in the last yearwhile both mainline and conservativeteens are more likely than teens whoseparents are affiliated with black Protestantdenominations to report doing organizedvolunteer work or community service.
The highlighted denominations range from14 percent of the black Baptist teens say-ing they volunteered to 45 percent of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Americateens reporting that they volunteered atleast occasionally in the last year.
Regular church attendance appears to havesmall uneven effects on volunteering forProtestant teens. While regular churchattendance increases the chances of doingcommunity service for Assemblies of God,Southern Baptist and United Methodistteens, it decreases the chances of commu-nity service activity for EvangelicalLutheran Church in America teens.
In the last year, how much, if at all, have you done organized volunteer workor community service?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 61
AG 35
DOC 21
ECUSA 43
ELCA 45
LCMS 26
PCUSA 37
SBC 32
UMC 34
Blk Bapt 14
COGIC 41
Conservative 31
Mainline 35
Blk Prot 23
All Protestant 30
Unaffiliated 27
All Teens 33
AG 42
ELCA 37
SBC 37
UMC 40
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Did Organized Volunteer Work at LeastOccasionally in the Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 35
DOC 21
ECUSA 43
ELCA 45
LCMS 26
PCUSA 37
SBC 32
UMC 34
Blk Bapt 14
COGIC 41
Conservative 31
Mainline 35
Blk Prot 23
All Protestant 30
Unaffiliated 27
All Teens 33
AG 42
ELCA 37
SBC 37
UMC 40
62 National Study of Youth and Religion
Helping Needy PeopleForty-four percent of Protestant teens report helping homeless people, needy neigh-bors, 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 Protestantdenominations are particularly likely to saythey help needy people informally. Half ofthe Church of God in Christ teens, for exam-ple, report helping needy people some or alot, compared to a quarter of thePresbyterian Church (USA) teens.
Regular church attendance has inconsistenteffects on helping needy people forProtestant teens. For instance, though regularchurch attendance increases the likelihoodof informally helping the needy forAssemblies of God teens, it has little or noeffect for Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica, United Methodist and SouthernBaptist teens.
In the last year, how much, if at all, did you help homeless people, needyneighbors, family friends, or other people in need, directly, not through anorganization?Q
AG 43
DOC 39
ECUSA 38
ELCA 33
LCMS 33
PCUSA 25
SBC 44
UMC 37
Blk Bapt 41
COGIC 50
Conservative 43
Mainline 38
Blk Prot 51
All Protestant 44
Unaffiliated 47
All Teens 44
AG 43
DOC 39
ECUSA 38
ELCA 33
LCMS 33
PCUSA 25
SBC 44
UMC 37
Blk Bapt 41
COGIC 50
Conservative 43
Mainline 38
Blk Prot 51
All Protestant 44
Unaffiliated 47
All Teens 44
AG 55
ELCA 34
SBC 41
UMC 37
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Helped Needy People Some or A Lot inthe Last YearU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
AG 55
ELCA 34
SBC 41
UMC 37
Political ActivityEleven percent of Protestant teens say that in the last two years they have beeninvolved in political activities, not including student government, such as signing apolitical petition, attending a political meeting or contacting an elected official.
Teens whose parents are affiliated with cer-tain mainline Protestant denominations aresomewhat more likely than most otherProtestant teens to report participating inpolitical activities. For instance, 20 percentof Presbyterian Church (USA) teens and 19percent of Episcopalian teens say theywere involved in political activities in thelast two years. On the other hand,Assemblies of God teens also surpass theProtestant average.
Regular church attendance seems to havelittle consistent effect on teenagers’ likeli-hood of participating in politics. Forinstance, regular attendance considerablydecreases political activity for EvangelicalLutheran Church in America teens, thoughit leads to slightly more political activityfor United Methodist teens.
In the last TWO years, have you been involved in any political activities, notincluding student government, such as signing a political petition, attending apolitical meeting or contacting an elected official, or not?Q
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 63
AG 14
DOC 6
ECUSA 19
ELCA 11
LCMS 11
PCUSA 20
SBC 10
UMC 15
Blk Bapt 3
COGIC 4
Conservative 10
Mainline 13
Blk Prot 12
All Protestant 11
Unaffiliated 12
All Teens 11
AG 11
ELCA 3
SBC 10
UMC 19
Attending U.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Involved in Political Activities in the Last Two YearsU.S. Teens Age 13-17 (percents)
Source: National Survey of Youth and Religion 2002-2003, N=3,290.
64 National Study of Youth and Religion
ConclusionsThis report employs the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) survey data toexamine the religious beliefs and practices of U.S. Protestant teenagers, as a moredenomination-specific follow-up to the recent NSYR-based book by Christian Smithwith Melinda Lundquist Denton, Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Lives ofAmerican Teenagers. For many but certainly not all measures, teens whose parentsare affiliated with conservative denominations are more likely to believe and partic-ipate religiously than are teens whose parents are affiliated with mainline denomi-nations. Teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestant denominations areoften highly likely to hold religious beliefs but not as likely to participate.
The picture for mainline denominations is not entirely dim. Church-attending mainline teens report viewing fellow church members justas positively as conservative teens view their fellow church members.In fact, the Presbyterian Church (USA) teens report the most positiveviews of adults and teens in their churches. Attending mainline teensare also just as likely as conservative teens to report opportunities foryouth involvement in church, with Episcopalian teens being the mostlikely to report opportunities for teen involvement. Additionally,mainline teens do not report greater levels of risk behaviors than con-servative teens, and they report moderately higher levels of voluntaryand political participation than do conservative teens. Church-attend-ing mainline Protestant teens are also almost as likely as otherProtestant teens to say they would attend the same church that theydo if given the choice. While the mainline teens and their parentsexpress somewhat lower levels of satisfaction with religion and theirchurches than do conservative teens and parents, mainline Protestantteens also report many positive views of religion and church.
For many of the religious measures, Protestant teens who attendchurch at least two or three times a month are more likely than all Protestant teens
Teens whoseparents are affiliated
with conservative denominations are more likely to believe and
participate religiouslythan are teens whose parents are affiliated
with mainline denominations.
to believe and participate religiously. The effects of church attendance, however,are often more pronounced for teens whose parents are affiliated with mainlinedenominations than for teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative orblack Protestant denominations. For instance, when it comes tobelief in life after death, angels, miracles and judgment day, churchattendance has the largest effect on mainline teens. Additionally, theeffects of church attendance are sometimes noticeably weak orabsent for teens whose parents are affiliated with black Protestantdenominations, such as among the measures of belief in life afterdeath, angels, miracles and judgment day. The effect of churchattendance on mainline teens’ religious beliefs and activities is prob-ably partially due to their lower overall levels of belief and religiousactivity. In other words, church attendance has a greater effect onthose groups of teens who have the most room for improvement.
Although conservative teens generally report higher levels of reli-gious belief and participation, the patterns between denominationsoften vary, and these variations do not always make sense from theviewpoints of traditional theological differences. For instance,Evangelical Lutheran Church in America teens are significantly lesslikely than many other teens to report belief in a judgment day butmore likely than many other teens to say they believe in miracles andthe afterlife. Theological coherence does not seem to be a hallmark of Protestantteens in general. For instance, 55 percent of Protestant teens report belief in anafterlife yet 80 percent report belief in a judgment day.
The NSYR data reveal that a minority of Protestant teens say that church is a verygood place to talk about serious life issues. Specifically, less than one-half ofProtestant teens say church is a very good place to talk about serious issues intheir lives. The mainline teens are especially unlikely to say church is a very goodplace 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 lifeissues in their churches.
Although this report repeatedly points out differences between mainline, conserva-tive, and black Protestant teens, some denominations break that pattern. ThePresbyterian Church (USA) teens, in particular, often do not behave like othermainline teens, despite the status of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as a mainlinedenomination. For instance, Presbyterian Church (USA) teens are the most positiveabout talking to adults in their church, are the least likely to say adults in theirchurch are hypocrites, look very positively upon fellow congregation members ingeneral, 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
Less than half ofProtestant teens say that church is a very good place to talk about serious
life issues.
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66 National Study of Youth and Religion
patory in Sunday school and religious summer camps and are highly likely to reporthaving a powerful experience of worship. Regardless of these positive views ofchurch 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 sug-gests 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 ofchurch with their views of fellow congregation members. While most attendingProtestant teens have positive views of church, they do not always have positiveviews of fellow congregation members. Many Protestant teens think that at leastsome teens in their church are hypocrites. Episcopalian teens are especially likely tosay most or all teens and adults in their church are hypocrites.
Like their children, the parents of NSYR teens are generally positive toward theirchurches although they express some concerns, too. A sizable minority of Protestantparents report that their churches are not helpful in raising their teens. The distinc-tion between mainline, conservative and black Protestant parents on this point isquite 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 appearto be meeting the needs or expectations of parents with teenagers.
The findings above reveal little connection between morality and riskbehaviors. Along these lines, most Protestant teens report relativelyhigh levels of moral clarity. Less than one-fifth, for example, reportever being confused about what is right and what is wrong. Almosttwo-thirds say people should wait until marriage before having sex.Despite their moral clarity, however, Protestant teens take part in avariety of risk behaviors. Eleven percent say they drink alcohol a fewtimes a month or more, 9 percent report lying to their parents fairlyor very often in the last year and almost two-thirds report cheating inschool in the last year. Moral awareness thus does not always pro-duce moral actions. Furthermore, the risk behaviors themselves donot always vary consistently by denomination. For instance, LutheranChurch Missouri Synod teens are the least likely of the denomina-tions to say they use marijuana and some of the least likely to reportsmoking cigarettes, but they are some of the most likely to say theycheat in school and lie to their parents.
Mainline teens report somewhat higher levels of civic activity thando conservative and especially black Protestant teens. Mainline Protestant teens vol-unteer and participate in political activities more than conservative and blackProtestant teens. Black Protestant teens, however, are the most likely to report help-
Most Protestant teens report
relatively high levelsof moral clarity.
Despite their moral clarity,
however, they takepart in a variety of risk behaviors.
ing needy people not through organized means. In the U.S., many often think ofreligion as what takes place in church or what transpires between a person andtheir God. It is possible that for many mainline Protestant teens, however, religionalso involves a believer’s activity in this world helping their fellow humans.
This report is intended, among other things, to help Protestant leaders betterunderstand the adolescent members of their religious organizations. Protestantteens report relatively high levels of religious belief and participation, they gener-ally say they place a high importance on faith and most of them say they havepositive views of their churches and fellow church members. Inmost cases, Protestant teens participate more, are more likely tobelieve, place a greater importance in faith and more highly valuetheir churches than do non-Protestant teens. Such numbers shouldbe interpreted cautiously, however, since NSYR teen interview find-ings — as reported in the book by Christian Smith with MelindaLundquist Denton, Soul Searching: the Religious and Spiritual Livesof American Teenagers — also show, for instance, that many U.S.religious teens understand and embrace very little of the theologicalsubstance of their own faith traditions. Readers should also keep inmind that, considering all measures of religious participation andviews of religion in this report, there are some Protestant teens whochoose not to participate in, believe the teachings of or positivelyevaluate their churches. For instance, the fact that about four-fifthsof Protestant teens report that adults in their churches are at leastsomewhat easy to talk to and get to know also means that aboutone-fifth do not feel comfortable talking to adults in their congrega-tions. Thus, the results from the NSYR survey not only point towhat appears to be the important role churches play in the lives ofProtestant teenagers, but also perhaps to ways those churches may need to workmore effectively with the teenage members of their churches.
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 67
Protestant teens participate more, are more likely tobelieve, place a
greater importance in faith, and morehighly value theirchurches than do
non-Protestant teens.
68 National Study of Youth and Religion
Adventist/Seventh-Day AdventistAmerican Baptist AssociationAmerican Baptist Churches in the USAApostolic PentecostalAssemblies of GodBaptist Missionary AssociationBible ChurchCalvary ChapelCharismaticCharismatic BaptistChristian and Missionary AllianceChristian Reformed ChurchChurch (Churches) of ChristChurch of God InternationalChurch of God of Anderson, IndianaChurch of God of Cleveland, TennesseeChurch of God of ProphecyChurch of God, General ConferenceChurch of the BrethrenChurch of the NazareneConservative Baptist Association of AmericaEvangelicalEvangelical Covenant ChurchEvangelical Free ChurchEvangelical Presbyterian ChurchFour SquareFree MethodistFree Will BaptistFull GospelFundamentalistFundamentalist BaptistGeneral Association of Regular BaptistsGeneral BaptistsGrace Brethren ChurchHolinessIndependent
Independent BaptistInter-DenominationalJust ProtestantLutheran Church Missouri Synod Lutheran Church Wisconsin SynodMennoniteMissionary BaptistMissionary ChurchNational Missionary Baptist Convention of
AmericaNazareneNon-DenominationalNorth American Baptist ConferenceOther BaptistOther BrethrenOther Church of GodOther Church (Churches) of ChristOther LutheranOther MethodistOther PentecostalOther PresbyterianPentecostalPentecostal Church of GodPentecostal Holiness ChurchPlymouth BrethrenPresbyterian Church in AmericaReformed Presbyterian Churches of North
AmericaSouthern Baptist ConventionSpanish PentecostalUnited Pentecostal Church InternationalVineyard FellowshipWesleyan ChurchWesleyan MethodistWorldwide Church of God
Appendix A: Religious Traditions
Conservative Protestant Denominations
Note: Bold denotes denominations highlighted in the report.
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U.S. Denominations 69
Mainline Protestant Denominations
African Methodist EpiscopalAfrican Methodist Episcopal ZionAmerican Baptist Association (if black)American Baptist Churches in the USA (if black)Apostolic Pentecostal (if black)Charismatic Baptist (if black)Christian Methodist EpiscopalChurch (Churches) of Christ (if black)Church of God in ChristChurch of God in Christ, InternationalChurch of God of the Apostolic FaithChurch of God, HolinessGeneral Baptists (if black)Holiness (if black)Independent Baptist (if black)Inter-denominational (if black)
Just Protestant (if black)Missionary Baptist (if black)National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.*National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.*National Missionary Baptist Convention of
America (if black)*Non-Denominational (if black)Other Baptist (if black)Other Church of God (if black)Other Methodist (if black)Pentecostal (if black)Pentecostal Church of God (if black)Pentecostal Holiness Church (if black)Reformed BaptistSouthern Baptist Convention (if black)United Baptist
CongregationalistDisciples of ChristEpiscopal Church in the USAEvangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaJust LutheranJust MethodistJust PresbyterianJust ProtestantMoravian Church in America
Northern BaptistPresbyterian Church (USA)Quaker/FriendsReformed Church in AmericaUnited Brethren in ChristUnited Church of ChristUnited Methodist Church
Black Protestant Denominations
Note: Bold denotes denominations highlighted in the report.* Denotes denominations in black Baptist grouping.
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70 National Study of Youth and Religion
Appendix B:
Demographic Characteristics by
Protestant Denomination (percents)FamilyIncomeBelow
$30,000
Urban RuralAfrican-
American Teens
Latino Teens
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