Church Trends

“The pandemic was brutal on churches, but even the year before, the number of Protestant congregations in the U.S. had gone backward by approximately 1,500.” - Religion Unplugged

“61% of evangelicals say they gave to their church in the last 12 months. That is down 13 percentage points from 2021 when 74% reported giving to their local congregation.” - Ministry Watch

“Fifteen years ago, I wondered if mid-size churches might go extinct…. The mid-size church is still here, and I’m glad I did not publish my thoughts. Now, they have several growth advantages in North America.” - Sam Rainer

“women in America seem to be abandoning Christian observance more quickly than men. Political scientist Ryan Burge… recently shared survey data showing that college-educated men are now more likely to attend church weekly than college-educated women.” - Breakpoint

“4. Non-denominational churches do not carry the ‘name’ baggage that a denominational church might carry. I think this issue can be overstated…. 5. Non-denominational churches tend to be newer churches that grow faster than older churches.” - Rainer

“Though it is difficult to estimate precisely how many megachurches remain in the United States, it’s safe to assume the large growth curves of the 1980s and 1990s are a thing of the past.” - Church Answers

“In the midst of significant challenging news for churches, the level of giving remains remarkable. What is taking place?” - Thom Rainer

“Misconception #1: People leave primarily because of negative experiences with the church….Misconception #2: Young people are leaving the church after attending secular universities.” - TGC

The Hartford Institute for Religion Research study found that “approximately one-third of the 4,809 churches in the study say their attendance has increased since the pandemic…more than half say they have suffered a slight or severe decline in attendance.” - CPost

“The average Christian congregation…[has] just 65 members, about a third of whom are age 65 or older, according to a 2020 pre-pandemic survey. By contrast, a separate 2020 study found that three-quarters of megachurches were growing, many at a rapid clip.” - NPR