The “Old Guard” loves a population that is “unclaimed.” When 70% of Mainers aren’t attached to a foundation, it’s easier for the system to dictate what’s “true.”

January 2026 Statistics:

Maine ranks 49th most religious state.

A quarter of Mainers now list their religion as “Nothing in Particular.” When you add in the atheists and agnostics, nearly half of the state has zero ties to a religious tradition.

Catholicism and Mainline Protestantism in Maine have halved since 2007. The “Old Guard” churches are literally rotting from the inside because they’ve been abandoned by the system.

While Mainers rank low on traditional religion, they rank higher on “spiritual activities” like visiting nature. The “Old Guard” prefers you in the woods where you can’t organize, rather than in a church where you can build.

The 2026 data shows that while the old, liberal denominations are dying, conservative and evangelical churches are the only ones growing (up 19% in some areas). This is why they fear the “New Order.” In a state of 70% “nones,” a man with a hammer and a Bible isn’t just a renovator…he’s a revolutionary.

They left the church buildings empty to make room for their own secular “monuments” like the Crewe Center. But they forgot one thing: You can’t kill a foundation just by ignoring it.

We are not out of order. We are the NEW order.