“People took it for granted,” said Ryan Burge, a pastor and researcher, that “the Golden Girls are not leaving. They’re going to be here no matter what.”

However, according to the article, Burge found that in the past few years, adults ages 55 to 64 report significantly reduced church attendance—down a full 10 percentage points. And, according to Burge’s research, “When people stop attending church these days, their pastors can’t expect them to return.”

The article also cites a Pew Research Center survey from December of 2017. According to this survey, just under half of Christians over age 40 who stop attending church feel they are still practicing their faith. This is true for only 25% of those age 18-29 who don’t go to church.

Less than a third of those over the age of 65 stopped because of a dislike for the Church.