Lifeway Study: U.S. Churches Are More Diverse but Pastors Preach Less on Race
A Lifeway Research study released July 21, 2026 found that U.S. Protestant churches have grown more ethnically diverse over the past decade, but pastors are less likely to address racial reconciliation from the pulpit. Nearly 1 in 5 pastors now say they never preach on the subject, up from 4 percent in 2017.
U.S. Protestant churches have become more ethnically diverse over the past decade, but pastors are less likely to preach about racial reconciliation than they were in 2017, according to a Lifeway Research study released July 21, 2026.
The study, conducted in September 2025, found that 77% of pastors now report their congregation is predominantly one ethnic group, down from 86% in 2013. That shift reflects slow but real demographic change in American churches.
But the frequency of conversations about race has moved in the opposite direction. Nearly 1 in 5 pastors, or 17%, say they never address racial reconciliation from the pulpit. That figure was 8% in 2021 and just 4% in 2017.
The share of pastors who believe every church should strive for racial diversity has also dropped, from 93% in 2017 to 84% today. Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, noted that 2017 was likely an outlier, shaped by the social climate following the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally.
African American pastors remain the most likely to preach on racial reconciliation regularly, with more than 1 in 3 doing so at least once a month. Urban pastors are also more likely than rural pastors to address the topic frequently.
Mainline pastors (89%) are more likely than evangelical pastors (79%) to view racial diversity as a goal for all congregations.
The findings suggest that while the pews are slowly changing, many pulpits have pulled back from the topic, even as racial tensions in American society remain a live issue.
