Men and women experience the journey to faith in Jesus in similar ways, but some differences emerge when their stories are examined in detail, according to segments of the Finding Jesus report from the Evangelical Alliance.
The research found women were more likely to be drawn by emotional or relational factors: 44 per cent said they “needed help with life” and 39 per cent pointed to “a difficult or painful experience”.
Men tended to lean slightly toward intellectual reasons: 28 per cent wanted “to be a better person” and 24 per cent were motivated by “intellectual curiosity”. Spiritual experiences mattered to both, but more women (32 per cent vs 23 per cent) reported personal encounters with God, while men often started their journey through reading the Bible or discussions with church leaders.
When describing their faith journeys, both sexes used words like “comforting”, “hopeful”, and “life-giving”, though men found the process slightly more “challenging”. Women tended to cite relational and emotional factors, like conversations with friends or small groups, while men emphasised Bible reading, church attendance, and guidance from church leaders.
The decision to follow Jesus also reflected these tendencies. Women were more likely to highlight direct experiences of God, while men gave more weight to intellectual reasons, such as making sense of the gospel. Both valued the love and hope found in Christ, with women particularly drawn to community, and men to the truth and beauty of the gospel.
Since coming to faith, challenges differed subtly. Women often struggled with negative responses from others, whereas men faced lifestyle adjustments. Both sexes found prayer, Bible reading, worship, and supportive community crucial for sustaining faith.