Study Finds U.S. Evangelicals Rate Their Spiritual Lives as C+

A recent study titled "The Spiritual Report Card: Perception vs. Practice Among Evangelicals" reveals that American evangelical Protestants rate their spiritual lives at an average grade-point equivalent of 2.42, or a C+. Conducted by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research, the survey of 1,000 participants evaluated 12 areas of spiritual practice, including prayer, Bible engagement, and financial stewardship. While 12% of respondents assigned themselves an A, 16% reported a grade of D+ or lower.

Researchers noted a significant correlation between self-assessment and actual behavior, particularly regarding church attendance and Bible reading. However, participants tended to rate themselves higher in Bible knowledge and financial giving than their reported actions suggested. Overall, respondents identified prayer and their relationship with God as their strongest areas, while evangelism and tithing were cited as the weakest. Ron Sellers, president of Grey Matter Research, observed that while believers are generally accurate in identifying their spiritual struggles, this awareness does not always lead to behavioral change. Mark Dreistadt of Infinity Concepts suggested the findings offer church leaders a clear opportunity to address these identified gaps.