Wokeness at Church: Most Churchgoers Do Not Believe the Bible Definitively Addresses Homosexuality

A new national survey of over 1,000 regular church attendees exposes a sharp drop in confidence that Scripture speaks plainly on key moral questions, especially around sexuality. Released by the Family Research Council in partnership with the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, the data shows just 47 percent of churchgoers now see the Bible as clear and decisive on whether homosexuality is morally acceptable—down from 63 percent just two years ago.

For transgenderism, the figure stands at 40 percent, a fall from 52 percent in 2023. These shifts point to a deeper erosion, with similar declines across other issues like abortion (51 percent see clarity, down from 65 percent) and the definition of legitimate marriage (65 percent, down from 75 percent).

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins ties this ambiguity to a failure in the pulpit.

“Many pastors, many churches are not systematically teaching the word of God.” He adds that “some pastors are afraid they’re going to offend or lose people by … addressing these controversial issues.” The result, Perkins says, creates “a vacuum that is being filled by the broader culture in the media. So that’s what’s shaping the worldview of many Christians.”

This vacuum doesn’t form by accident. Evidence mounts that progressive ideologies, often cloaked in calls for justice and inclusion, are methodically reshaping churches from the inside. Drawing from Marxist tactics refined over decades, these forces enter not through bans or overt attacks but by co-opting familiar Christian terms like love and compassion to push a rival agenda. Sin gets redefined as systemic injustice, salvation as social liberation, and repentance as confessing privilege—hollowing out the gospel while keeping the shell intact.

Real-world cases reveal how this plays out. At Faith Baptist Church in Knightdale, North Carolina, a new pastor with ties to a large Southern Baptist network dismantled longstanding ministries like Sunday School, Awana, and vacation Bible school, stripped rooms bare, and pushed for a merger that would dissolve the congregation into a megachurch model. Finances were misrepresented to justify the move, members questioning the changes were labeled inactive and stripped of voting rights, and external consultants orchestrated the shift toward a more “inclusive” but diluted identity. A lawsuit uncovered the coordination, including hidden funding and legal maneuvers to evade accountability.

Similar patterns emerged at McLean Bible Church in Virginia, where leadership secretly affiliated with denominational entities, funneled millions without disclosure, and introduced teachings on collective racial repentance and sympathy for progressive causes. Dissenters were mic-cut during meetings, membership rolls purged to sway votes, and traditional elements erased in favor of large, controlled groups emphasizing diversity over depth. At First Baptist Church in Naples, Florida, opposition to a candidate promoting “woke church” ideas led to excommunications, slander as racists, and a mass exodus, all backed by influential networks pressuring conformity.

These aren’t isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy where cultural elites use shame, cancellation, and institutional mandates to enforce a new orthodoxy. Churches face demands to adopt diversity trainings, pronoun rules, and quotas, or risk being branded intolerant. This mirrors historical Communist control of religion, where sermons were censored to align with state ideology, turning houses of worship into tools of the regime.

Yet the survey offers glimmers of resistance. Despite the confusion on specifics, 79 percent of churchgoers affirm there are only two genders, 68 percent hold that legitimate marriage is solely between one man and one woman, and 70 percent believe society should support families led by a father and mother. Majorities also recognize every person as made in God’s image (84 percent) and possessing undeniable dignity (83 percent). Perkins points to models like Calvary Chapel, where verse-by-verse teaching ensures issues arise naturally: “That way … when those issues come up, you just have to deal with them.”

The data demands action. Without reclaiming systematic exposition of Scripture, more churches will fall to this silent remaking, leaving congregations adrift in cultural currents rather than anchored in eternal truth.