Scott Thumma
Young organists pull out all the stops to inspire interest in a ‘complex’ instrument
By Adelle M. Banks — December 21, 2023
(RNS) — Young musicians have taken to the organ at a time when there has been a decline in the number of instruments and in the professionals who play them.
Meet the pastor behind that ‘quitting the church’ essay
By Bob Smietana — September 11, 2023
(RNS) — A pastor's last thoughts on leaving the ministry sparked a national conversation about clergy health and the future of the church.
Giving is up at churches and people are back, but clergy are still thinking about quitting
By Bob Smietana — September 5, 2023
(RNS) — While life at local congregations has returned mostly to normal, the future remains uncertain.
COVID-19 and the decline of religion in America
By Mark Silk — May 17, 2023
(RNS) — Evidence that in the United States, pandemics depress faith.
COVID-19 health emergency is ending but faith-based vaccine clinics continue
By Adelle M. Banks — May 10, 2023
(RNS) — Over the last few years, African American congregations have provided outsized action on getting people tested and vaccinated.
Half online, half in person: The state of Black churches now and possibly on Easter
By Adelle M. Banks — April 6, 2023
(RNS) — As Easter approaches, leaders of Black denominations use cautious language even as they hope for a resurrection in the numbers of people who return to the pews.
Study: Religious attendance dips slightly after pandemic
By Yonat Shimron — March 28, 2023
(RNS) — The study found the share of U.S. adults who generally say they attend religious services at least once a month dropped from 33% in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak, to 30% in 2022.
More Americans stay away from church as pandemic nears year three
By Bob Smietana — January 5, 2023
(RNS) — Many Americans already had dropped out of church life before the pandemic. COVID-19 gave them a reason to let go completely, according to a new survey.
Sunday school looks different since pandemic’s start: From monthly to missing
By Adelle M. Banks — December 21, 2022
(RNS) — ‘If you kept it online, you probably don’t have a religious education program now,’ expert Scott Thumma said of children’s activities.
Religious groups with immigrant members grew fastest over past decade
By Yonat Shimron — November 11, 2022
(RNS) — A decennial study of US religious life shows that the number of participants in congregational services has not kept up with the overall population growth. But religious groups drawing large numbers of immigrants have seen steady growth.
Half of churches say Sunday school, other education programs disrupted by pandemic
By Adelle M. Banks — April 28, 2022
(RNS) — Overall, evangelical churches reported experiencing the least disruption to their educational programs, while mainline churches reported the most, followed by Catholic and Orthodox congregations.
Study: More congregations are reopening but attendance remains flat
By Yonat Shimron — March 22, 2022
(RNS) — Only 27% of respondents in a Pew study said they attended services in person this month. Back in September, when the coronavirus was still surging, 26% said they attended in-person religious services.
For clergy, COVID-19 has brought both burnout and breakthrough
By Elizabeth E. Evans — February 21, 2022
(RNS) — For clergy, the COVID-19 pandemic has been both a long haul and a time of new beginnings.
Streaming online has been a boon for churches, a godsend for isolated
By Bob Smietana and Elizabeth E. Evans — February 1, 2022
There's been a lot of bad news about churches in recent years. Online church has been one bright spot.
Amid COVID-19, most churches provide hybrid worship, half stopped picnics
By Adelle M. Banks — November 10, 2021
(RNS) — A new study shows that ‘the pandemic has had a profound impact across the religious spectrum, and that some churches are faring better than others,’ said scholar Scott Thumma.
Page 1 of 2
