Median in-person worship attendance in U.S. congregations has increased for the first time in a quarter century as post-pandemic church shows signs of rebounding, according to a new study by Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “What we’re seeing is not…
Megachurches aren’t forever
While researching historical data for another article this week, I stumbled upon a list of the largest churches in America in 1983-1984, and before I knew it, I was down the rabbit hole of curiosity. This list was published in…
Post-COVID, church-shifting has created more ideological agreement
The COVID pandemic facilitated a greater sorting of churchgoers into more ideological groups than before, according to new nationwide data from Hartford Institute for Religion Research. This is one of several key findings from the National Survey of Church Attenders…
America’s changing culture means there’s not much of a rush to the cafeteria for Sunday lunch
The old joke about the Baptists trying to beat the Methodists to the cafeteria for Sunday lunch seems stale these days. You might more easily find a remaining cafeteria in some towns than a plurality of people who actually attend…
Here’s some good news on the health of America’s clergy
The mental and physical health of America’s clergy may be better than previously reported, according to new data from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “There is no question that at this moment many clergy are stressed, exhausted and have…
Yes, technology has become more critical for U.S. churches since pandemic
The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 prompted lasting changes in the ways U.S. religious groups use technology in congregational life, according to a new study by Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “The pandemic necessitated innovation in how congregations connect with…
The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad season
If you have been following along recently and are a clergyperson, or someone interested in the goings on of church life, you may be feeling like this has been a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad … season.” Several research…
On the other side of the pandemic, the report from America’s churches is mixed
Increases in attendance, giving and participation, and a decline in internal squabbling, may signal America’s churches are emerging from the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, new research shows. But the study — “Back to Normal? The…
Church religious education took more of a hit than worship during pandemic
Much has been written about the challenges churches faced in maintaining corporate worship during the pandemic, but little has been reported on the changes brought about in religious education. Yet a new national study from Hartford Institute for Religion Research…
‘Spiritual vitality’ and willingness to change on the rise in U.S. congregations
After tracking a 20-year decline in American congregational vitality, researchers say they have documented a recent increase in the number of congregations that say they have resilience and are willing to embrace change and engage in their communities. And no,…
Why have so few U.S. congregations experienced even a single COVID death?
With more than 800,000 lives lost to COVID-19 in America alone, observers might wonder why some U.S. congregations have taken a seemingly cavalier approach to fighting the pandemic. One possible answer emerged this week from new survey data released by…
Survey says: More than half of U.S. congregations started new ministries during COVID
Here’s one more silver lining to the dark cloud of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic: “The level of new and intensified social outreach and community ministry undertaken by the nation’s churches is monumental.” So reports the Hartford Institute for Religion Research…