The Lifeway Research State of Discipleship study found Bible engagement to be one among eight signposts measuring distinct characteristics for believers progressing in their spiritual maturity. On a scale of 0 to 100, the average churchgoer scores 69.8 on Bible engagement, placing it fifth among the signposts.
Among U.S. Protestant churchgoers, most say they read Scripture regularly, but just 31% say Bible reading is a daily habit.
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“Protestant churchgoers overall report they are engaging the Bible, but on any specific question, as many as 1 in 5 say they are not following Jesus Christ in that way,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “This reflects an overall pattern in assessments of churchgoers where the direction is often good but far from the standard seen in Scripture.”
Bible reading levels
According to the State of Discipleship study, around 3 in 5 Americans who attend religious services at least once a month (61%) regularly read the Bible, including 31% who read every day and 30% who do so a few times a week. Some engage once a week (14%) or a few times a month (11%). Few say they read Scripture only once a month (5%), while 1 in 10 (9%) do so rarely or never.
Reading frequencies have remained mostly steady since 2019, when Lifeway Research found 59% were regular Bible readers. Personal Bible engagement has increased, however, since previous studies. In 2012, 46% regularly read the Bible, including 19% who did so every day. Five years earlier, in 2007, only 36% of churchgoers were regular Bible readers, with just 16% who read daily.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Aaron Earls and originally published by Lifeway.
