church attendance

Gallup poll: More than half of Americans rarely go to church

By Bob Smietana — March 25, 2024
(RNS) — The percentage of Americans who never attend services outnumbers those who go every week, according to a new Gallup report.

Thousands of churches will likely close down. What happens to all that real estate?

By Bob Smietana — March 15, 2024
(RNS) — A new book called 'Gone for Good' looks at the ways that churches could be reused for the public good in the future.

Can American congregations learn to embrace the uncoupled?

By Elizabeth E. Evans — February 15, 2024
(RNS) — Many American congregations tend to focus on traditional families, recollecting a mid-20th-century model for church growth or else simply as a model of what a Christian life should be.

Pandemic boosted resilience, hurt financial health of Black churches, says report

By Adelle M. Banks — January 4, 2024
(RNS) — A new report highlights the challenges faced by Black and multiracial congregations, as well as their resilience, in the wake of COVID-19.

Latino majority congregations see growth, financial struggles, report finds

By Adelle M. Banks — December 13, 2023
(RNS) — ‘Still, the overarching picture for majority Latino congregations looks more promising than for other congregations,’ said sociologist of religion Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi.

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.

Poll: Religious attendance is shrinking but those who remain are happy

By Yonat Shimron — May 16, 2023
(RNS) — In the PRRI study, 57% of Americans say they seldom or never attend religious services. Among those who do, 89% said they were proud to be associated with their congregation.

We know Americans have become less religious. Surprising new data shows us where.

By Ryan Burge — April 12, 2023
(RNS) — North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan saw drops in total religious adherents of at least 10%.

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.

COVID-19 sent houses of worship online. Will congregations come back in person?

By Ryan Burge — March 24, 2023
(RNS) — Religious leaders can find concern and comfort in a survey about attendance at worship early in the pandemic.

Is Catholic teaching on birth control driving people from the pews?

By Ryan Burge — January 10, 2023
(RNS) — Catholics’ adherence to the church’s teaching seems to depend in part on how often the person attends Mass.

Does education ‘cure’ people of faith? The data says no

By Ryan Burge — November 10, 2022
(RNS) — Despite a long-standing biased assumption among many that the uneducated cling to religion, studies show people with higher degrees are most likely to be religious.

Measuring COVID-19’s effect: Southern Baptists report 19% attendance drop

By Adelle M. Banks — May 12, 2022
(RNS) — Beyond a rise in baptisms, the only other growth Southern Baptists saw in 2021 was in financial giving.

With high hopes for holidays, three faiths take stock of COVID-19 losses and gains

By Adelle M. Banks, Emily McFarlan Miller, Alejandra Molina, Kathryn Post, and Yonat Shimron — April 15, 2022
(RNS) — Even with the convergence of Easter, Passover and Ramadan this year, many Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders are uncertain whether they can count on a post-COVID-19 resurgence or what it will look like.
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