A growing share of Protestant churchgoers in the US say many people aren’t aware that they’re Christians. Still, a majority of them wouldn’t hesitate to let non-Christians know where they stand on their faith, according to a new Lifeway Research study.
In the study, 2025 State of Discipleship Living Unashamed, Lifeway researchers highlight the beliefs, desires and actions of Protestant churchgoers in the U.S. around living unashamed. Living Unashamed is one of eight signposts in Lifeway’s Discipleship Pathway Assessment used to measure spiritual maturity.
The latest Living Unashamed study included responses from 2,130 Protestant churchgoers to six questions collected in a survey conducted from March 19–26, 2025. On a scale of 0 to 100, the average churchgoer scored a 61, which is the seventh lowest among the signposts.
More than half (53%) of Protestant churchgoers either somewhat or strongly disagreed with the statement that “Many people who know me are not aware I am a Christian.” Another 30%, however, either strongly or somewhat agreed while 17% were neutral.
The 30% share of Christians who agree that many people aren’t aware they are Christian reflects a doubling of that cohort since 2013.
Data from a 2013 Lifeway Research study shows that 14% of churchgoers said many people who knew them weren’t aware they were a Christian. That climbed to 20% in a 2019 Lifeway Research study. Approximately six years later, it stands at 30%.
“Ideally, a Christian would be talking about their relationship with Jesus Christ, not as something they have to say, but as an overflow of their love for Him and His impact on their lives. The honesty of churchgoers about gaps in living unashamed reveals large numbers have room for growth in this important aspect of discipleship,” Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said in a statement on the study.
“It can be very easy to compartmentalize our lives. We have work friends, neighborhood friends, church friends and friends we meet up with for fun who may not overlap,” added McConnell. “The discipleship question is whether Jesus Christ is in all of these parts of our lives as part of our core identity as a follower of Christ.”
When it comes to letting non-Christians know about their faith, however, 65% of churchgoers either strongly or somewhat disagree with the statement that “I am hesitant to let non-Christians know that I am a Christian.” Some 17% either strongly or somewhat agree with the statement, while an identical share said they neither agree nor disagree.
Protestant churchgoers were also almost equally resistant to the statement that “Many aspects of who I am have nothing to do with God.” A healthy 61% of them somewhat or strongly disagree. Another 21% strongly or somewhat agree while 18% neither agree nor disagree.
The study also showed that even when speaking with other Christians, only 35% of American Protestants either somewhat or strongly disagree with the statement that “Spiritual matters do not tend to come up as a normal part of my daily conversations with other Christians.” A significant 42% of respondents in the study either somewhat or strongly agree with the statement while 23% neither agree nor disagree.
When it comes to identifying as a follower of Christ, churchgoers are divided.
In response to the statement, “I don’t think everyone I am acquainted with needs to know I am a follower of Christ,” less than half of churchgoers (47%) somewhat or strongly disagree with it. Another 33% strongly or somewhat agree while 20% neither agree nor disagree.
Research released by Barna in 2022 found that a majority (56%) of Christians see their spiritual lives as private. A 2021 survey released by Probe Ministries, a nonprofit that seeks to help the Church in renewing the minds of believers with a Christian worldview, found that the acceptance of pluralism was among the top reasons they gave for not telling others about their faith.
When asked why they don’t share their beliefs with others, born-again respondents selected the following as their top three responses: “They can get to Heaven through their different religious beliefs,” “We shouldn’t impose our ideas on others” and “The Bible tells us not to judge others.”
“At first glance, this may seem surprising. But in a culture where pluralism is a dominant part of all religious groups, it begins to make sense,” said Steve Cable, senior vice president of Probe Ministries. “And the pluralistic reasons were dominant, attracting around two-thirds of the population across all religious groupings.”
