Church Tomorrow? The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers Charts a New Way Forward

Why are many in younger generations turning away from the church for meaning? More than a few Americans claim no affiliation: those who are done with church, who never belonged, or who identify as spiritual but not religious, especially among Millennials and Gen Z.

In her book Church Tomorrow?, the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers creates a path toward renewal by posing urgent questions to clergy and lay leaders about shaping the future of the church. She shifts the conversation from Where did people go? to Where does the church go now?, pointing toward revival grounded in listening, adaptation, and resilience.

Drawing on interviews with dozens of young adults across the country, she traces the surprising places where spiritual curiosity is flourishing: yoga circles inside San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral, secular gatherings such as Sunday Assembly in Atlanta, and college students experimenting with mysticism.

These stories reveal not apathy among the religiously unaffiliated, but a fierce hunger for community, authenticity, and moral purpose—yearnings that many traditional institutions can satisfy.

Long recognized as a trusted voice in The Episcopal Church and beyond, Canon Spellers has helped communities navigate transformation through books including Radical Welcome and The Church Cracked Open. With Church Tomorrow?, she extends that work, equipping leaders to face disruption with creativity and hope, not fear.

This book has earned praise from leaders throughout the Church, including Julia Ayala Harris, President of the House of Deputies, who says that “Spellers amplifies the voices of seekers, skeptics, and spiritual dreamers too often ignored,” and that “Church Tomorrow? calls us to live with authenticity, courage, and love, reminding us that the Spirit still breathes new life into dry bones.”

The Very Rev. Winnie Varghese, Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York, commends the book as “a rich dive into the voices of spiritual young adults who do not find belonging in Christian churches” and “an important read for those of us who seek to serve them from the church.”

Available now through Church Publishing’s Morehouse imprint, Church Tomorrow? is an indispensable companion for the journey ahead.

Comments? Questions? Concerns? CPG is listening. Please reach out to us at corpcomm@cpg.org.