As Christian (or formerly Christian) influencers share their process of reassessing their beliefs on social media, it can seem like the approach known as “deconstruction” is a new movement that’s gone viral. Groups like “exvangelicals” or “nones” turned “dones” have growing ranks. But it’s important to remember that faith deconstruction is not a new concept in itself, even though it has more recently become a greater concern for the Church as the term has become mainstreamed. Additionally, those who say they have deconstructed aren’t all ex-Christians—in fact, many people who say they have deconstructed the faith of their youth are still Christian, and still in the pews.

There are many mindsets, disciplines and lessons that could be thought of as the work of deconstruction. For Barna’s Engaging the Spiritually Open report, we studied people who personally attest to having “deconstructed the faith of their youth,” as this more narrowly categorizes those who identify with the oft-debated term itself.

Overall, 42 percent of adults say they have deconstructed the faith of their youth. Of today’s Christians, it’s 37 percent, with little difference whether they’re practicing (36%) or nonpracticing (37%) Christians. That means more than one-third of committed, churchgoing Christians relate to the idea of having deconstructed the faith of their youth.

Where do deconstructed ex-Christians go, when they leave? Similar percentages have moved toward either atheism / agnosticism or having no faith (two in five each).

“Deconstruction can be an important period for addressing backstories and preparing people for potential disillusionment in their discipleship,” Barna CEO David Kinnaman said in an interview on Barna’s Resilient Pastor podcast. “We need to tell the truest story about what it means to be part of a Christian community so that when people encounter disappointment or larger questions about God and life, they remain grounded.”

This data comes from Barna and Gloo’s ongoing State of the Church initiative. More Trends and stories related to what Christians really believe can be found exclusively on Barna Access Plus.