VENTURA, Calif.--A Barna Research Group study discovered that the number of adults in the USA no longer attending church has almost doubled since 1991, from 39 million to 75 million.

"It is mainly the men," George Barna said, "who make up 55 percent of those who have left churches. Around half of churchgoers in the USA claim to have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior," as do 12.5 million, or around 16 percent, of those who no longer attend church.

According to DAWN News, author John Bevere, an evangelist from Colorado Springs, believes that many Christians have no real relationship with God. He calls on Christians to no longer accept a dry Christianity which knows about God, but does not know him personally.

Bevere said North American churches who emphasize "material possessions, entertainment and feel-good worship" have downplayed the fear of God and obedience. Bevere said that gives a false image of worship. He also said poor examples of Christians in churches give a false image of worship.

David Barrett, author of the World Christian Encyclopedia, estimates that there are already 112 million out-of-church Christians around the world — 5 percent of all who call themselves Christians. He expects this number to double by 2025.

New Zealand pastor Alan Jamieson, author of the book "A Churchless Faith," has been studying this phenomenon for years. To his surprise, it is not the "normal churchgoers" who are leaving the church for reasons of faith. Some 94 percent of the unchurched Christians he interviewed were in positions of leadership or responsibility, such as deacons, elders, Sunday school teachers. Some 40 percent of them were once in full-time ministry.

Many said they left the church not because they had lost their faith, but because they did not want to lose it.