Editor's note: For research purposes, Dr. Thom Rainer classified unchurched people into five categories, U1 through U5. U1 is the most receptive group to the gospel and U5 is the least receptive.
At first glance, the discovery that U5s are more likely to be over 50 years old surprised us on the research team. The most resistant to the gospel were the oldest unchurched persons.
Then we realized that the real story was that the younger unchurched are more likely to have an interest or belief in spiritual matters. Our research and the research of others confirmed the growth of spiritual interest among young adults and youths in America.
Still, the findings are interesting because of the stark contrast uncovered.
People over 50 were twice as prevalent among the U5s as compared to all unchurched. However, with our limited data, we were unable to find a direct correlation between older age and resistance to the gospel.
Perhaps the answer cannot be found in the research. Perhaps the most obvious explanation is the best. These men and women have resisted the gospel for at least five decades, now their hearts are hard and resistant. Their stories are heartbreaking, and though it may appear that our efforts to reach them are futile, we cannot surrender these souls to Satan.
