God vs. the Saints

It’s become an annual tradition—American churches opening their doors on Super Bowl Sunday, not just with a sermon, but with hoagies, chips, and a big-screen TV to broadcast the game. The tradition has gained such steam that two years ago the NFL cracked down on the trend, alleging that the church Super Bowl parties amounted to violations of the league’s copyright…

Because churches don’t throw Super Bowl parties out of love for the sport. Many do it with a singular—if unspoken—goal: to bring men back to the flock. Any good sports fan knows that stats don’t lie, and for churches across America, the numbers on male attendance are grim. The average U.S. congregation has been shedding men for years, and now skews 61% female and 39% male. The gap between has become so pronounced that women now outnumber men in every single Christian denomination…

“It ticks me off that most men visit God in a comatose state on Sunday morning but passionately worship their sports god on Sunday afternoon,” Masteller said. “Instead of living passionate stories of meaning and purpose they’ve centered their lives around celebrity athletes and the games they play.”