Believing in times of Netflix subscriptions

If you read the headlines in Europe, the conclusion seems clear: religion is on its deathbed. Churches are being converted into libraries, lofts, or skateparks, and secularization seems unstoppable. But when I look at the worldwide data – really delve into the figures – I see a completely different story. A story that fascinates me, not only as a believer but also as someone who works daily with people, organizations, and growth.

Christianity is not dying. It is moving. And what is even more interesting: the forms of faith that are growing the fastest are not the 'easy' variants, but rather the movements that demand the most from their members.

The surprising figures

Let's first puncture the myth of shrinkage. Worldwide, there are now about 2.64 billion Christians. That is a third of the world's population. And more importantly: Christianity grows annually by 0.98%, which is faster than the growth of the world's population itself.

But growth is unevenly distributed. While Europe is indeed shrinking (-0.54% per year), we see an explosion of 2.59% growth per year in Africa. The center of gravity is shifting. However, a 'silent race' is underway between three major branches of Christianity, and the results are frankly surprising.

First, there are the  Evangelical Christians. You would think they are mainly in the American 'Bible Belt,' but growth there is stagnating. Where are they growing? In Iran and Afghanistan. Yes, you read that correctly. In Iran, an Islamic republic, the evangelical population is growing by almost 20% per year. People there literally risk everything for their new faith.

Then the  Roman Catholic Church. For years we heard stories of decline and scandals. But in 2025 we see a trend break. Worldwide, 15 million Catholics were added in one year. Even in the US, more people are now joining the church than leaving.  , and in secular France, the number of adult baptisms increased by 32%..

And finally my own faith community, the  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although smaller in absolute numbers, the momentum here is unprecedented. In 2024, 308,682 converts were baptized, the highest number in almost thirty years. In fact, the period from June 2024 to June 2025 marks the highest number of convert baptisms in the entire 195-year history of the church. And remarkably, we are also experiencing a growth of more than 20% in Europe..

Why 'high demand' religion wins

What do these three growing groups have in common? They ask something of you.

In an era where everything is 'on demand' and without obligation, you would expect people to look for a 'religion-lite'. A bit of spirituality without commitments. But the data shows the opposite. Liberal churches are emptying, while groups that have clear rules of life, show missionary zeal, and ask for sacrifices are exploding.

As the analysis states: faith still calls, especially where it 'speaks clearly, demands sacrifice, and promises transformation'.. People are apparently looking for fundamental change, not a confirmation of the status quo.

The Achilles' heel: the back door is open

Yet it's not all joy. When I look at these organizations with my HR perspective, I see a huge 'retention problem'.

• Evangelicals are growing rapidly, but in the US, 33% of members now  never go to church anymore.
• The Catholic Church gains many souls, but also loses the most to 'religious switching'; 39% of ex-Catholics now identify as non-religious.
• And also among us, the Latter-day Saints, we see that the establishment of new wards and stakes does not keep pace with membership growth. This suggests that a significant portion of converts unfortunately do not remain active.

This is where the story broadens beyond religion alone. We see the exact same pattern in trade unions, service clubs, and volunteer organizations. Everyone is struggling with what I call the 'commitment crisis'. This therefore forms a paradox with the earlier finding that high-demand religions are growing. More on that later.

From membership to subscription

We live in a world of subscriptions. We take a trial period, see if we like it, and if things go wrong or it takes too much time, we swipe to the next option. This mentality seeps into our deepest convictions.

The paradox of 2025 is that we are desperately looking for community and meaning (hence those record numbers of baptisms), but we have unlearned the skills to commit long-term to institutions that facilitate that meaning. We want the fruits of community, but we shy away from the roots needed for it.

A lesson for us as latter-day saints

We can be happy with those record numbers. The fact that we are seeing the highest convert growth in almost thirty years confirms that our message resonates. People in 2025 are apparently not looking for the path of least resistance, but rather for a faith with substance and structure. So we don't have to apologize for the high standards we have; that is precisely our appeal.

But the gap between the number of baptisms and the growth of new wards is a mirror for all of us. As a business leader, I know: acquiring new customers is one thing, keeping them is another. In the church, it's no different. The missionaries bring people in through the front door, but it's up to us – the regular members – to keep the back door closed.

The lesson from the data is clear: people are willing to make great sacrifices and change, but they drop out if they don't find a real, lasting connection. In a world of fleeting ‘subscriptions’ and loneliness, our ward must be the place where friendship is not superficial. Our biggest challenge for the coming years is not so much ‘more converting’, but ‘better integrating’. We must ensure that someone who has just been baptized feels not just a ‘member on paper’, but an indispensable part of the family. That is our real homework assignment.