The Quiet Exodus: Why Young Women Are Quietly Walking Away

In this episode of Echoes Through Eternity, Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner explores a troubling but often overlooked trend: while Gen Z men are returning to church, young women are quietly leaving.

This is not loud rebellion. It is not rejection of Jesus. It is a slow erosion of belonging.

Joined by Rev. Dr. Kim McLean, mentored by Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and others—pastor, songwriter, church planter, and longtime mentor of others—this conversation examines how shame-based formation, unequal leadership structures, purity culture, and unresolved trauma have shaped women’s experiences in the church.

Drawing on Barna research, lived pastoral stories, and a Wesleyan understanding of holiness as love perfected, this episode asks a deeper question: What happens when formation fails to produce freedom?

Key themes include:

• The growing gender gap in church attendance

• Why women leave without abandoning faith

• The impact of shame-based discipleship

• Women in ministry and invisible ceilings

• Purity culture and spiritual trauma

• Why silence feels safer than staying

• What faithful formation looks like now

This episode is not an indictment. It is an invitation—to listen, to repent where needed, and to build churches where women are not merely welcomed, but needed.

REFERENCED RESEARCH & THINKERS

Barna Group

• Gen Z attendance trends and gender gap research

• Studies on church disengagement and trust in leadership

Survey Center on American Life

• Faith deconstruction and institutional trust

• Gendered religious disengagement

Beth Moore

• Public departure from the Southern Baptist Convention

• Reflections on women, authority, and Scripture

Mildred Bangs Wynkoop

• A Theology of Love

• Holiness as relational restoration, not behavioral perfection

Scriptural anchors used or referenced:

• Galatians 3:28

• John 4 (Woman at the Well)

• Resurrection witness of Mary Magdalene

• Ephesians 5 (mutual submission, not hierarchy)

Takeaways:

1. Gen Z women are experiencing a quiet exodus from church, indicating a deeper relational breakdown.
2. This exodus is characterized by a lack of belonging rather than outright rejection of faith.
3. The data reveals a significant gap in church attendance between young men and women.
4. Church leadership must address the relational safety and equal treatment of women in ministry.
5. Many young women feel unseen and confined to narrow roles within church communities.
6. The shift observed among young women invites churches to reflect on their practices and priorities.

Mentioned in this episode:

Peace in that Finds You in the Middle of Chaos

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