A new survey of 1,000 evangelical Protestants in the United States found that believers rate their own spiritual lives at an average grade-point equivalent of 2.42 — roughly a C+ — with evangelism, financial giving and tithing ranking as the weakest areas, according to research released by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research.
The study, titled "The Spiritual Report Card: Perception vs. Practice Among Evangelicals", asked participants to grade themselves across 12 areas: prayer, Bible knowledge, Bible reading, tithing, charitable giving, volunteering, church attendance, worship, Christian relationships, evangelism, ministry involvement and their overall relationship with God.
Only 12% of respondents assigned themselves an average grade of A. At the other end, 16% averaged a D+ or below, including 2% who gave themselves a failing grade.
One of the more striking findings, according to the researchers, was how accurately believers' self-assessments reflected their actual behavior. Ron Sellers, president of Grey Matter Research, said the alignment between perception and practice was unexpected.
"When some evangelicals say they are struggling spiritually, they usually are not being overly critical — they are being honest," Sellers said. "What surprised us was not that Christians recognize their weaknesses — it's that their self-evaluations so often synchronize with their behavior. But we also see that recognizing the problem is not necessarily producing meaningful change."
The data showed the correlation playing out consistently across categories. Among those who gave themselves an A for Bible reading, the overwhelming majority reported reading Scripture daily. Among those who gave themselves a failing grade in the same category, few reported opening the Bible at all. Church attendance followed a similar pattern: 92% of those who graded themselves A in attendance said they attended in-person services weekly or more often, compared with just 7% of those who gave themselves an F.
Two categories where self-assessments appeared to outrun actual behavior were Bible knowledge and financial giving, according to the study.
Respondents rated prayer and their overall relationship with God as their strongest areas, while evangelism and financial generosity — both giving and tithing — were rated lowest.
Mark Dreistadt, president and CEO of Infinity Concepts, said the findings present both a challenge and an opening for church leaders.
"This study offers something every church leader wants but rarely has — a candid look at how believers evaluate their own spiritual health," Dreistadt said. "The encouraging news is that most Christians recognize both their strengths and their struggles. The challenge for the Church is helping people move from honest self-awareness to intentional spiritual growth."
The research was conducted by Grey Matter Research, a consumer insights firm that has worked with more than 100 charities, ministries and Christian denominations since 1996. The full report is available for download through Infinity Concepts.
