Barna Group Releases New Research on Trends in the Black Church

Barna Group has released updated findings from its Trends in the Black Church study in 2026. The organization calls it the most detailed research on the subject in more than 20 years.

The study was developed in partnership with several organizations, including the Black Millennial Cafe and Urban Ministries, Inc. It draws on survey data from Black Americans inside and outside the church.

Key topics include spiritual identity and expression, leadership pipelines and pastoral transitions, the role of women in church structures, civic engagement and activism, and the effects of gentrification on congregational health. The report also examines how the COVID-19 pandemic changed how Black churches operate, finding that 41 percent of Black church congregants favor a hybrid model going forward.

Barna's data consistently shows that Black Christians report higher levels of spiritual vibrancy than white Christians across several measures, including trust in and use of the Bible.

The 2026 update adds new data on the influence of artificial intelligence on spiritual authority, Christian media consumption patterns, and signs of spiritual renewal among younger generations. Researchers say these trends are reshaping how Black churches communicate, recruit, and retain members.

Church leaders and ministry organizations are using the findings to plan programming and address the generational divide between older members who value tradition and younger members who want the church to speak more directly to their lived experiences.

The full report is available through Barna's Access Plus subscription service.