Barna Group
Barna Group, founded in 1984 in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private market and social research firm that conducts proprietary surveys on faith, culture, leadership, and generational trends, selling subscriptions, custom research, and resources to Christian churches, faith-based non-profits, and ministry organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersFort Worth, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Barna Group does
Barna Group is a private, non-partisan, for-profit market and social research organization founded in 1984 and headquartered at 4450 Oak Park Lane, Fort Worth, Texas, operating as a subsidiary under Issachar Companies. With 11-50 employees, the firm specializes in proprietary quantitative and qualitative research on faith, culture, leadership, vocation, and generational trends in America, built on a dedicated Pastor Panel, nationally representative consumer panels, and statistical weighting across all 50 U.S. states. Over its 40-year history, Barna states it has conducted more than 2 million interviews across thousands of studies and has codified its analytical output through proprietary frameworks: the Spiritually Open scoring scale, the Exile Group segmentation (Prodigals, Nomads, Habitual Churchgoers, Resilient Disciples), and the Resilient Disciple definition.
The company's product portfolio centers on Barna Access Plus, an annual subscription platform hosting the full research library, webinars, podcasts, and digital tools, alongside the Barna Store e-commerce site for individual reports and books, Barna CoLab interactive courses, the Resilient Pastor Initiative, and Custom Research and Speaking services. Revenue is diversified across subscription recurring revenue, one-time report and book sales (books via Baker Books), and professional services for tailored ministry research and paid speaking engagements featuring CEO David Kinnaman and Senior Fellow Mark Matlock. Barna Access Plus content is also accessible via barna.gloo.us, embedding the research within partner Gloo's AI-powered faith ecosystem platform.
The firm's customers are Christian churches, faith-based non-profit organizations, Christian media companies, and technology platforms serving the faith ecosystem. Go-to-market is hybrid: sales-led enterprise outreach for custom research and subscriptions, community-led nurturing through free articles, podcasts, and webcasts that funnel audiences into Barna Access Plus, and event-driven thought leadership via the State of Pastors Summit and conference speaking engagements. Strategic co-development partnerships with Gloo (Faith and AI Trends, State of the Church), World Vision (Connected Generation international study across 25 countries), Pepperdine University (State of Pastors), InterVarsity, and NRB (national media convention programming) extend reach beyond what the headcount implies and de-risk distribution.
Barna Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Barna Group
- Legal name
- Barna Group, Ltd.
- Website
- https://barna.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Barna Group, founded in 1984 in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private market and social research firm that conducts proprietary surveys on faith, culture, leadership, and generational trends, selling subscriptions, custom research, and resources to Christian churches, faith-based non-profits, and ministry organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Barna Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Market Research Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)
Keywords
Where Barna Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Worth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Barna Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Barna Access Plus Subscription: A subscription platform providing ongoing access to Barna's research library, exclusive reports, webinars, podcasts, field guides, and digital tools for Christian leaders. Serves as the primary recurring revenue stream.
- Report and Book Sales: Sale of individual research reports, books, and resources through the Barna Store (shop.barna.com). Products include research reports on topics such as Gen Z, pastors, spiritual openness, and faith trends, as well as authored books by Barna principals.
- Custom Research Services: Bespoke research engagements for organizations requiring customized data and analysis tailored to their specific ministry context. Marketed as 'Partner with Barna on customized research projects' to gain knowledge for unique ministry needs.
- Speaking Engagements: Barna speakers including David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock are available for conferences, keynotes, plenary sessions, and workshop breakouts, generating fee-based revenue while promoting Barna's research capabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Barna Access Plus subscription for full research library access |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Barna Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Barna Group is a market and social research organization that produces data-driven insights on faith, culture, leadership, vocation, and generational trends for Christian churches, ministries, and faith-based non-profits. It sells subscriptions (Barna Access Plus), individual research reports and books (Barna Store), custom research projects, and speaking engagements, with a portfolio of podcasts and free resources supporting thought leadership in the faith community.
Product overview
Barna Group is a market and social research organization specializing in faith, culture, leadership, vocation, and generational studies. The company operates as a research-as-a-service platform offering Barna Access Plus as its core subscription product providing comprehensive access to research insights, podcasts (The Resilient Pastor, The Faith and Culture Report, Motherhood Today, ChurchPulse Weekly), the Barna Library of free resources, and the Barna Store for purchasing published reports and books. Additional offerings include Custom Research Services for tailored ministry research, Speaking Services for event keynotes, and Barna CoLab for interactive learning. The product portfolio centers on transforming data into strategic insights for Christian leaders and organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Barna Access Plus: Subscription-based platform providing full access to Barna insights, research reports, and exclusive content
- Barna CoLab
- Resilient Pastor Initiative
Products and services
- Barna Access Plus An all-in-one subscription platform providing cultural insights, research findings, practical resources, webinars, podcasts, and interactive learning experiences for Christian leaders navigating faith and culture.
- Barna Store E-commerce platform selling research reports, books, and resources including the Gen Z Trilogy, Faith for Exiles, Faith for the Curious, and other Barna-published materials.
- Custom Research Services Partner with Barna on customized research projects tailored to unique ministry needs, providing intelligence and understanding of the faith-culture intersection.
- Speaking Services Barna speakers available for conferences, keynotes, plenary sessions, workshop breakouts and events, covering topics including Gen Z, generosity, the Bible, evangelism, and church leadership.
- Barna CoLab Interactive learning experiences and courses designed to help Christian leaders apply research insights to their ministry contexts.
- The State of Pastors (Report Series)
Quantifiable outcome
- 66% of U.S. adults say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus—a number that is rising according to 2026 data
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Barna Group
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Barna Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Barna Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- NRB (National Religious Broadcasters)minorGloo (Barna's primary research partner) served as Diamond Sponsor for NRB 2026 International Christian Media Convention in Nashville, Tennessee (February 17-20, 2026), where Barna Group unveiled new research on AI adoption and trust among Christians and pastors. Barna delivered main stage programming on faith, media, and technology topics and hosted an Innovation Stage with deep-dive sessions.
- NRB (National Religious Broadcasters)minorA 2025 study by NRB and Barna, based on a nationally representative sample of over 2,000 U.S. adults, revealed that Christian media audiences are younger, more family-oriented, politically conservative, and spiritually committed compared to non-users. The research highlights Gen Z leading engagement with Christian social media at 64% and Millennials at 58%.
- GloocoreGloo, an AI-powered technology platform for the faith and flourishing ecosystem (Nasdaq: GLOO), is Barna's most prominent research partner. The two organizations collaborate on ongoing research series including the Faith and AI Trends study, State of the Church, and regular survey releases on topics including pastoral health, AI adoption among pastors, and spiritual openness among Americans. Gloo serves as a Diamond Sponsor for events like NRB 2026 where Barna research is unveiled. The partnership is characterized by mutual research co-development and co-marketing.
- World VisioncoreBarna partnered with World Vision on the Connected Generation research project, a landmark international study surveying more than 15,000 respondents across 25 countries and 9 languages to examine the values, faith, and experiences of Millennials and Gen Z. The study explores what values younger generations bring into adulthood, their relationship to faith, and their role in shaping workplaces, media, politics, arts, neighborhoods, and churches.
- Pepperdine UniversityminorPepperdine University commissioned Barna Group to conduct The State of Pastors research, a comprehensive whole-life assessment of U.S. pastors. The resulting report examines pastoral challenges in the 21st century, spiritual readiness, and factors affecting pastoral leadership, forming the basis of Barna's State of Pastors Volume 1 and Volume 2 publications.
- InterVarsity Christian FellowshipcoreBarna collaborates with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship through several initiatives. Mark Matlock serves as Executive Director of Urbana for InterVarsity. Barna's research supports InterVarsity's campus ministry work, including the Urbana Student Mission Conference. The relationship involves co-authored work (Faith for Exiles with David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock) and research support for InterVarsity's mission initiatives.
- Come NearminorBarna partnered with Come Near to create the Engaging the Spiritually Open report, designed to help leaders and laypeople engage in spiritual conversations, understand deconstruction trends, navigate doubts, and support the spiritually curious on their faith journey. The report includes field guides for pastors.
- Impact 360 InstituteminorBarna partnered with Impact 360 Institute to create the Gen Z Trilogy, three data-driven research reports designed to help leaders understand and effectively minister to the emerging Gen Z generation (born 1999-2015). The trilogy helps those working with young people get to know this generation and lead them more effectively.
- Pure Desire MinistriesminorBarna partnered with Pure Desire Ministries to produce Beyond the Porn Phenomenon, a research report that brings the effects of porn use into full perspective and equips the Church to take action on this topic affecting individuals and families.
- Alpha USAminorBarna partnered with Alpha USA to produce the Reviving Evangelism report, exploring current realities that demand a new vision for sharing faith. The research examines how Millennials and Gen Z engage with faith conversations and evangelistic encounters, providing data to inform evangelism strategy.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Barna Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Gloo: Gloo is an AI-powered technology platform serving the faith ecosystem, now Nasdaq-listed (GLOO), and Barna's most prominent research partner. While not a research competitor, Gloo is a strategic ally that co-develops studies (Faith and AI Trends, State of the Church) and provides distribution infrastructure that amplifies Barna's reach.
- The Navigators: The Navigators is an international Christian ministry that produces research and resources on discipleship, spiritual formation, and generational faith transmission. While primarily a ministry rather than a research firm, it partners with research organizations including Barna on studies about resilient faith among young adults.
Direct peers
- Pew Research Center: Pew Research Center conducts large-scale, nationally representative surveys on religion, faith, and culture in the United States, publishing influential reports on religious affiliation and practice. It directly competes with Barna in faith-related research and serves overlapping audiences including ministry leaders, journalists, and academics.
- Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI): PRRI is a nonpartisan research organization that conducts polls and analysis on religion, culture, and public policy, with a particular focus on the intersection of faith and American politics. It produces similar longitudinal, nationally representative research to Barna on religious trends and engages many of the same academic, ministry, and media audiences.
Emerging players
- Cultural Research Center: The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University was founded by George Barna (Barna Group's founder) and produces faith-and-culture research that overlaps with Barna's offerings. It represents an emerging player that could compete for the same ministry and academic audience for U.S. faith-and-culture data.
- Springtide Research Institute: Springtide Research Institute focuses on research about young people, religion, and spirituality, producing reports on Gen Z and Millennial faith patterns. It competes with Barna's generational and youth ministry research (Gen Z Trilogy) and targets a similar audience of ministry leaders and faith-based organizations.
Regional players
- Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary: Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is a leading evangelical seminary that conducts academic research on pastoral health, church leadership, and ministry trends, including studies that overlap with Barna's State of Pastors series. It represents an academic research peer rather than a commercial competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Gallup: Gallup is a large global analytics and advisory firm that publishes religion research, including long-running polls on religious identity, belief, and practice in the United States. While far broader in scope than Barna, Gallup's religion research directly competes for the same readership of ministry leaders and faith-based organizations.
- Christianity Today: Christianity Today is a leading evangelical media outlet that publishes journalism, research summaries, and analysis on faith and culture. While primarily a media company rather than a research firm, it produces and commissions research that competes with Barna for the attention of pastors and faith-based ministry leaders.
- LifeWay Christian Resources: LifeWay is a Southern Baptist-affiliated publisher, retailer, and research organization historically known for its own religious research (now integrated into Gloo). It has long overlapped with Barna in publishing Christian research, surveys on church trends, and resources for pastors, making it a comparable incumbent in the Christian research market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Barna Group social profiles
Digital presenceBarna Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Barna Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Barna Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Barna Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Barna Group
What does Barna Group do?
Barna Group is a market and social research organization that produces data-driven insights on faith, culture, leadership, vocation, and generational trends for Christian churches, ministries, and faith-based non-profits. It sells subscriptions (Barna Access Plus), individual research reports and books (Barna Store), custom research projects, and speaking engagements, with a portfolio of podcasts and free resources supporting thought leadership in the faith community.
Is Barna Group a public or private company?
Barna Group is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Barna Group founded?
Barna Group was founded in 1984. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Barna Group based?
Barna Group is headquartered in Fort Worth, United States, in the North America region.
How does Barna Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Barna Access Plus Subscription is the primary driver. The others are report and Book Sales, custom Research Services and speaking Engagements.
Who are Barna Group's main competitors?
Others on record are Gloo and The Navigators. Direct peers are Pew Research Center and Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). Emerging players are Cultural Research Center and Springtide Research Institute. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Gallup, Christianity Today and LifeWay Christian Resources.
Does Barna Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Barna Group.
What industry is Barna Group in?
Barna Group's product category is Market Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAA, Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues). Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8600.