Barna Group

Barna Group
Name	Barna Group
Type	Private research firm
Founded	1984
Founder	George Barna
Headquarters	Ventura County, California
Products	Surveys, market research, data tools, publications
Key people	George Barna; David Kinnaman; Mary Mohler

Barna Group is an American research and polling firm focused on religious belief, cultural trends, and faith-related behaviors in the United States and globally. Founded in the 1980s, the organization has produced large-scale quantitative studies, syndicated reports, and resources used by religious institutions, nonprofit organizations, publishers, and media outlets. The firm has published books, white papers, and digital products that intersect with topics relevant to the Pew Research Center, Gallup, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, American Bible Society, and other faith-related institutions.

History

The firm was established in 1984 by George Barna, who had earlier worked with the National Association of Evangelicals and contributed to surveys used by Christianity Today and the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. Early work centered on opinion research among evangelical Christians, alongside contemporaries such as Baylor University researchers and the Barna Research Group era studies. In the 1990s and 2000s the organization expanded its scope to include pluralistic religious markets, commissioning studies that intersected with the work of the Pew Research Center’s religion projects, the Harris Poll, and the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. Leadership transitions and strategic shifts in methodology paralleled developments seen at institutions like Lifeway Research and The Public Religion Research Institute.

Research Methods and Methodology

The organization has employed mixed-mode surveying, including telephone, online panels, and mail approaches similar to methods used by Gallup, Pew Research Center, and the National Opinion Research Center. Sample frames have drawn on probability-based samples, opt-in panels, and targeted audience lists parallel to approaches used by Ipsos, YouGov, and the Roper Center. Questionnaire design reflected best practices advocated by scholars at Stanford University and Harvard University survey centers, while weighting procedures resembled those used by the U.S. Census Bureau for demographic adjustments. Methodological transparency in reports has been compared with technical disclosures from Pew and NORC at the University of Chicago, and the firm has collaborated with academic partners at institutions such as Regent University and Fuller Theological Seminary on validation studies.

Key Findings and Major Studies

Major studies have addressed church attendance, Bible engagement, religious identity, generational faith patterns, and moral attitudes, producing findings cited alongside work from Pew Research Center, Gallup, and Pew Forum. High-profile reports examined the religiosity of cohorts like the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z, and connected trends to cultural forces studied by George Barna and later authors comparable to analysts at Harvard Kennedy School and Brookings Institution. Syndicated studies on the state of the American church, spiritual formation, and pastoral leadership were often cited by leaders from the National Association of Evangelicals, the Southern Baptist Convention, and denominational seminaries including Dallas Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. International research initiatives compared findings to global surveys by World Values Survey and Pew Global Attitudes Project.

Services and Products

The organization has offered syndicated reports, custom research projects, database subscriptions, online dashboards, workshops, and books. Products targeted church leaders, clergy, parachurch organizations, and faith-based nonprofits, similar in audience to publishers like InterVarsity Press and Zondervan and consultants serving the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Training and consulting services paralleled offerings from organizations such as Leadership Network and Exponential, while published titles and monographs entered marketplaces alongside works from John Piper, Tim Keller, and researchers at Biola University.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Founded and led for many years by George Barna, leadership later included researchers and executives who managed research, communications, and client services in ways comparable to leadership teams at Pew Research Center and Gallup. The organization employed survey methodologists, statisticians, data analysts, and content editors with ties to academic programs at Syracuse University and Northwestern University survey research centers. Board members and advisors often included leaders from evangelical institutions, nonprofit funders, and publishing houses similar to Baker Publishing Group and Crossway.

Criticism and Controversies

The firm’s work has faced scrutiny over sampling choices, question wording, and interpretation, critiques familiar to debates surrounding Gallup and Pew Research Center reports. Academics affiliated with American Sociological Association journals and researchers at Harvard Divinity School and University of Notre Dame have queried generalizability when studies relied on opt-in panels or client-funded projects, drawing parallels to controversies involving YouGov and commercial polling firms. Debates also arose over policy implications and denominational responses to findings, echoing disputes seen with analyses from Pew and denominational research bodies. Some critics argued that marketing of books and consulting services created potential conflicts of interest, a critique similarly raised in cases involving consultancy-linked scholarship at institutions like Claremont Graduate University.

Category:Polling organizations