Latest Research Initiatives:
The Harvest Project:
Shining Light on What Matters
The Harvest Project is a transformative initiative launched by Back to the Bible to redefine success in Christian ministries by shifting focus from traditional output metrics—like attendance, decisions, and reach—to meaningful outcomes such as spiritual formation, life transformation, and enduring fruit, addressing the widening "belief-practice gap" in American Christianity where many profess faith but few exhibit deep discipleship.
The Harvest Project is flipping the ministry scorecard from attendance to transformation. It confronts the belief–practice gap (60%+ identify as Christian, but only ~35% engage Scripture regularly) by championing fruit over reach as the new success standard. In short, if lives aren’t visibly changing, we’re not truly succeeding — no matter how high the headcount.
SALT Index:
Research-Based Measurement Framework
The SALT Index (Scripture Absorption and Life Transformation) is a research-based framework that measures spiritual growth across key dimensions such as Scripture engagement, obedience, Christlike character, and relational impact. Developed from decades of global Bible engagement research, it provides pastors and ministry leaders with a clear, data-informed picture of how their people are growing spiritually. While the Christian life cannot be reduced to numbers, the SALT Index offers actionable insight that helps churches strengthen discipleship, identify needs, and celebrate measurable transformation.
The SALT Index was developed to help the global Church answer the question - Has the seed taken root, and is it bearing fruit that remains?
STATE OF CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA 2025
SALT Index — U.S. General Population
Being Right About God Is Not the Same as Being Right With God
America does not have a Jesus-awareness problem.
It has a discipleship problem.
Non-believers mentor or disciple at virtually the same rate as believers.
The 2025 SALT Index shows that while Christian belief remains widespread, formation outcomes are thin, inconsistent, and largely invisible at the population level
Key Findings (Outcomes, Not Outputs)
Being Right About God Is Not the Same as Being Right With God
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61% of Americans identify as followers of Jesus
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72% affirm Jesus’ death paid for the sins of humanity
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66% affirm core doctrines (resurrection, Trinity, virgin birth, need for grace)
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Yet only 33% say they personally expect heaven because they are saved by grace through faith in Jesus
Belief is present. Conviction and formation are not.c
Scripture Engagement Is the Bottleneck
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Nearly 50% of Americans engage Scripture zero days per week
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35% engage Scripture regularly
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Only 21% engage Scripture at a level historically associated with life transformation
Access is high. Absorption is low.
Transformation Is Mostly Private — Not Observable
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54% report internal spiritual change
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Only 37% say others can see a difference in their lives
Formation is occurring internally for some — but rarely becoming visible, reproducible fruit.
Discipleship Has Stalled
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Only 31% of Americans say they have ever personally discipled or mentored another person in the Christian faith
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Only 13% say their behavior is usually or consistently aligned with God’s standards
These are behavioral measures, not beliefs — and they remain strikingly low.
A Startling Finding
Non-believers disciple at virtually the same rate as believers.
Out of 4,922 respondents:
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13.8% of non-believers say they mentor or disciple someone
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14.3% of believers say the same
Christian identity is not producing higher multiplication outcomes at scale.
The Measurement Problem
(Not a Theology Problem)
For over 50 years, American Christianity has been funded and scaled using vanity metrics — indicators of activity that do not measure formation outcomes.
Commonly rewarded metrics included:
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Attendance
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Decisions recorded
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Media reach and impressions
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Content distributed
These metrics were never designed to measure:
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Scripture absorption
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Obedience
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Life transformation
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Reproducible discipleship
What gets funded gets repeated.
What gets repeated shapes the faith.
The Long View (Why This Took 50 Years to Appear)
Vanity-metric systems do not collapse quickly.
They erode formation quietly while reporting success loudly.
For decades:
• Visibility increased
• Platforms expanded
• Access multiplied
Formation deficits compounded silently — until population-level measurement made them visible.
The SALT Index represents the first large-scale attempt to measure what those funding signals actually produced.
American Christianity did not lose its beliefs.
It lost its measurement discipline.
When formation is not measured, it is not funded.
When it is not funded, it is not built.
The crisis facing Christianity in America is not theological.
It is not cultural.
It is not technological.
It is formational — and it was accelerated by 50 years of rewarding the wrong numbers.
Meet The Team Behind The Projects
Meet the passionate researchers and ministry leaders whose decades of experience and global insights power the initiatives at the Center for Scripture Absorption at Back to the Bible:
Dr. Arnie Cole
CEO, Back to the Bible
Chief Research Officer, Spiritual Fitness Center
Pam Caudill, Ph.D.
Research Design Consultant
Spiritual Fitness Center
Mark Graham
Chief Technology & Analytics Officer
Yulia Case
Chief Digital Officer
Evidence Speaks Louder Than Words
400,000
People surveyed globally over 20 years
1,000,000+
Christians and seekers have experienced spiritual growth through our programs.
"Power of 4"
Research reveals that those who engage Scripture 4+ times per week are 228% more likely to share their faith.
FAQ
1. What is spiritual fitness?
Spiritual fitness is the ongoing process of being formed into the likeness of Christ through Scripture, obedience, prayer, and the work of the Holy Spirit. It describes a life that increasingly aligns with God’s will—in thoughts, attitudes, relationships, and daily choices. While spiritual fitness is ultimately a theological reality rooted in sanctification, research from the Center for Scripture Absorption helps us observe the habits and patterns that support this growth, such as consistent Bible intake and applying Scripture in daily life. Try today's workout here.
2. What is Scripture Absorbtion
Scripture absorption is a deeper form of Bible intake that moves beyond the mere reading of Scripture to a pattern of receiving, reflecting on, responding to, and revealing God’s Word in everyday life. It integrates both understanding and obedience so that Scripture transforms a person’s heart, habits, and relationships. Research shows that when believers absorb Scripture consistently, their spiritual growth accelerates, their resilience increases, and their faith becomes a guiding force in real-world decisions. Check out the Harvest Project for more details.
3. What is the SALT Index?
The SALT Index is a research-based framework that measures spiritual growth across key dimensions such as Scripture engagement, obedience, Christlike character, and relational impact. Developed from decades of global Bible engagement research, it provides pastors and ministry leaders with a clear, data-informed picture of how their people are growing spiritually. While the Christian life cannot be reduced to numbers, the SALT Index offers actionable insight that helps churches strengthen discipleship, identify needs, and celebrate measurable transformation. Learn more about our SALT Index here.
4. What does BTTB research reveal about Scripture intake today?
A deliberate, structured approach to engaging with the Bible in a way that leads to profound personal life transformation. This process includes reading Scripture, reflecting on it attentively, responding appropriately, and finally, revealing what we’ve learned to others. It's not just about reading the Bible but allowing its teachings to penetrate deeply into one's life, shaping thoughts, behaviors, and actions. Full report on The State Of Christianity in America is coming soon.
5. How does Back to the Bible conduct its research?
Back to the Bible’s research is conducted through the Center for Scripture Absorption, which uses large-scale surveys, behavioral studies, and validated spiritual growth indicators developed over more than two decades. Our work combines rigorous social-science methodology with a commitment to biblical theology, ensuring that findings are both empirically sound and theologically grounded. This approach allows pastors and ministry leaders to rely on trusted insights that support effective discipleship within the local church.
