Hm. I don’t know where you live. Around here men seem more likely to drop out entirely when divorce is involved. A few have their children weekends and bring them to church.
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In this area the winners at the moment seem to be evangelicals. Catholic parishes vary, depending somewhat upon the priests and their charisma, frankly. Priests report that only about 25% of those registered attend Mass faithfully. The evangelical percentage seems considerably higher nut some of them switch churches easily, as though still searching.
The local mainline Protestants are important in terms of community leadership - often families here for many generations - but some of their many churches are struggling to survive, others thriving, still others holding their own. The mainline Protestants tend to be well-educated (college grads), freethinkers, eclectic - believing more-or-less what they choose to believe. Actually, many Catholics are doing the same. Ties often seem more cultural and traditional than doctrinal.
I live in what could (and usually is) referred to as the “upland South”…not entirely Southern in culture, but more Southern than anything else. Lots of Evangelical organizations here, but probably more Fundamentalists than Evangelicals. I’m not sure there is a sharp dividing line between the two, and I can’t say there is any exactitude as to what really constitutes “Evangelical” around here or anywhere else.
If, by “Evanglical” we mean a sort of emotion-based Protestantism, heavy on comraderie, then it seems to me there are two sorts. There are the (usually very large) organizations that seem to depend to at least some degree on the charisma of the pastor (in some cases, though, it’s more than that) and, frankly, showmanship. Those are usually resource-rich. Then there are the smaller ones (often non-denom offshoots of the others) that are more based on particular biblical interpretations, and fairly resource-poor. Both are very much into evangelization.
To me, “Fundamentalists” are not particularly into evangelism and are far more likely to be very local, if not in afiliation, at least in established relationships and particular theological persuasions.
“Evangelicals” are more into “gifts of the Spirit” like speaking in tongues than are Fundamentalists, it being recognized, however, that the extreme “snake handler” kinds are more of the very Fundamentalist type.
Therefore, to me, Assemblies of God are very much “Evangelicals”, for example, whereas Southern Baptists are mostly not. Having said that, I will add that, at least around here, there is considerable overlap.
Mainline protestantism around here is, as you suggest, culture-based. If you’re “established aristocracy” (so to speak) you’re more likely to be main line. Lutherans are almost entirely “culture-based” in that virtually all are of Teutonic descent. Lutherans around here (LCMS) tend not to change religions, and seem stable in numbers. Mainline churches are, indeed, in a decline in at least participation. Now and then a particular pastor may revive one for awhile.
Catholics here are a small part of the total population, but growing in numbers. My parish grows about 5%-10%/year through adult conversions alone, most of which are from both Evangelical and Fundamentalist groups. Most of those “adult” conversions are young people; anywhere from late teens to about age 30. But there are some older ones. Some young people do “drop out” in terms of participation, but generally return when they start to form families.
I have some thoughts as to why all of that’s so, but it would take awhile to explain them, and I don’t have time to do it now. Maybe I will later.
for this post, and the interesting contributions to the discussion on conversions and demographics.