Recent research shows that about half of Protestant churches in the United States have experienced an increase in worship attendance since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Lifeway Research report released Tuesday found that 52% of Protestant congregations surveyed had an increase in attendance at least 4% over the past two years.
In contrast, 33% of the congregations surveyed said attendance had decreased by 4% to 4% growth, while 15% reported a decline in attendance at services by more than 4%.
The report also found that more growth has been reported among evangelical pastors than mainline Protestant pastors, with 57% of evangelical congregations reporting growth of at least 4% and 46% of mainline congregations reporting the same.
Additionally, 62% of Pentecostal congregations have seen growth of at least 4% and 59% of Baptist congregations over the past two years. In contrast, 43% of Methodist congregations and 37% of Lutheran congregations reported growth of at least 4%.
“Obviously, the growth in attendance over the past two years has been supported by people who have left since the start of the pandemic and then returned to regular attendance,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.
“Most pastors hope they’re back soon, but their attendance is a source of optimism, but future growth needs to come from brand new contacts.”
For that finding, the report was drawn from a telephone survey of 1,001 Protestant pastors conducted from September 17 to October 8, 2024, with an error of either positive or negative 4.1% at a 95% confidence level.
The report also found that 28% of the church reported that within the last 12 months more than 20 people were seeing “showing a new commitment to Jesus Christ as the Savior.” From there, 24% of the church reported seeing new commitments of 10-19, 42% saw new commitments of 1-9, and 6% reported seeing new commitments.
“Studies find that most churches are not at their pre-pandemic figures, but this study shows a slight increase in conversions per attendee,” added McConnell. “Many churches are intended to share the gospel with the next generation and those outside their church.”
In 2020, in response to the spread of Covid-19, the majority of churches temporarily suspended unilateral worship services at government orders. However, some churches were forced to close for a long time, and many fought back against state government restrictions at a time when strip clubs were allowed to remain open. Other churches were even prohibited from keeping outdoor services where church members remained in their cars.
Since the lifting of pandemic restrictions, efforts by congregations across sectarian affiliations to recover attendance losses have been mixed.
In August 2023, Hartford Institute of Religion at Hartford International University published a survey in which about a third of the 4,809 churches surveyed had increased attendance since 2020, with over half reporting a decline in attendance compared to before the pandemic began.
“The findings raise the question of how the pandemic has affected the trajectory of congregations’ growth and decline. The pattern of decline is not dramatic at this point, but the effects of the pandemic have not outweighed the effects,” says a study from the Hartford Institute.
“The congregations remain optimistic about their future, but it is clear that they continue to wrestlew the troublesome situations that existed long before Covid-19 arrived.”
Originally published by The Christian Post
