As of 2024, of the 62% of Americans who practice Christianity, 40% are Protestant. While not all Protestant churches have abandoned traditional faith, major church sectors such as individualized “non-denominational” churches live in a completely different world than Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Some of the various customs more common with the Catholic and Orthodox churches include more services — ones that teach literacy of important events within the Bible. So what happens when, in a more independent church, churchgoers are meant to celebrate Holy Week (this week’s celebration of Christ’s life) themselves?

It’s arguable that the churches which have prompted ‘independence’ have a large following of Christians who have not carried on church customs. This includes Lent, a 40-day fasting period that follows Jesus’ fast (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-2). During this time, fasting items vary based on churches. While some individuals choose their own fast, others follow an organized fast from certain ingredients and substances, such as dairy, meat and wine. It’s broadly noted that Protestants today typically don’t partake in Lent, and for non-denominational churches, their services typically include Easter morning, without much else throughout Holy Week.

Is this erasing Christian history and culture? Well, it’s more than that. Many Protestant Christian holidays include customs that are debated on by the broader Christian culture, such as calling Pascha “Easter”. Protestant culture is arguably mixed alongside modernization to make it more digestible for new Christians. This is mainly a problem if those Protestants don’t recognize the roots of Jesus’ contributions. 

With all of the above being said, Gallup reported that only 50–53% of Catholics hold religion to be very important in their lives, while 64-69% of other Christians, including Protestants, noted religion to be very important. This points to the idea that while Protestants may be less legalistic, they still hold religion to be highly important. In fact, they are among the higher rates in America regarding the importance of religion demographically, and Catholics are closer to the average. 

We shouldn’t erase Protestants’ relevance within the church, but we should definitely recognize the shortcomings of modern Protestant churches, such as non-denominational ones. Still, it’s noteworthy to say that not all Protestants fall into the stereotype of ‘concert church,’ and many Protestant churches actually visually lean closer to traditionalism. Even then, some churches that may seem traditional by their dress, church structure and discipline have promoted modernized ideas, such as the Mother Mary being a ‘vessel’ for God rather than the most divine human in Christian history. Ultimately, aspects like veneration of saints and the sacredness of communion still fail to be recognized by a large number of Protestants today, despite their significant linkage to early church history. This is a call to the reader — what do you think about modernity in the church? Does it erase significant customs? Everyone should be taking part in this conversation — if Protestants are the norm, they define what Christianity is for outsiders.