Protestantism has been the predominant faith in Texas since the mid-1830s, but Catholicism was the first to make its presence felt in the region. According to the Association of Statisticians of Religious Bodies in the United States, there are now an estimated 421,972 Muslims in Texas, making it the fifth largest religious group in the state and the first in terms of number of Muslims. The census, which is conducted every 10 years, is based on congregations' self-reports to determine the number of members. The percentage of people who identify with a religion in Texas is lower than it was twenty years ago and 61.7 percent in 2000, indicating a shift away from religious affiliation. The first 62 editions of the Texas Almanac are searchable and provide insight into Texas history.
Texas is part of the Evangelical Protestant Bible Belt, an informal region in the south-central and southeastern United States where evangelical, socially conservative Protestantism plays an important role in both society and politics. The Galveston-Houston Roman Catholic Archdiocese is the largest Catholic jurisdiction in Texas and the fifth largest in the United States. It was established in 1847. According to the analysis of the Texas Almanac, there are 10.1 million people in the state who are not claimed by any religious group and about 15 million who are members of a congregation. The Fo Guang Shan Chung Mei Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Stafford, Texas. Providence Church was the first Baptist church to be organized in Texas when it opened its doors in Bastrop County in 1834. Houston has been heavily influenced by Protestant Christianity throughout its history.
