More Americans are driving farther to church, according to a new study from sociologists Kevin D. Dougherty at Baylor University and Mark T. Mulder at Calvin University. About a third of evangelicals drive more than 15 minutes to church, and 8 percent drive more than half an hour. Black Protestants drive farthest, with nearly one in five going more than 30 minutes to worship. Among all church goers, the percentage traveling more than 15 minutes to church increased 10 points from 2001 to 2017. The change may be connected to the growth of megachurches, the sociologists say, which pull people from a larger geographical area.
