Unchurched

"Unchurched" (alternatively, "The Unchurched" or "unchurched people") means, in the broad sense, people who are Christians but not connected with a church.[1] In research on religious participation, it refers more specifically to people who do not attend worship services.[2] In this sense it differs slightly from the term 'nones' which denotes an absence of affiliation with a religion and not an absence of attendance at religious services. The Barna Group defines the term to mean "an adult (18 or older) who has not attended a Christian church service within the past six months" excluding special services such as Easter, Christmas, weddings or funerals.[3] Barna reports that there were 75 million "unchurched people" in the United States as of 2004. Throughout history the word "unchurched" was a derogatory reference to people lacking access to culture or education or referred to inappropriate, improper or impolite behavior. It is no longer used this way.

Edward L. Ericson, a former member of the Joint Washington Office for Social Concerns, defines "unchurched" as anyone who refuses to join a religious organization "out of principle".[4]