<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Churches in the United States are struggling to return to attendance levels seen prior to COVID lockdowns shutting their doors and forcing online services, according to a new Lifeway Research poll. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The <a href="https://research.lifeway.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Pastors-Sept-2022-Attendance-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a>, released last week, was conducted with 1,000 Protestant pastors from September 6-30 from a random sample of Protestant churches. The survey revealed that despite churches failing to return to pre-lockdown levels, the majority had resumed in-person worship services. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“While there are a handful of exceptions, we can definitively say that churches in the U.S. have reopened,” <a href="https://research.lifeway.com/2022/11/08/churches-are-open-but-still-recovering-from-pandemic-attendance-losses/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Lifeway Research executive director Scott McConnell. “While masks began to rapidly disappear in many settings in 2022, churchgoers have not reappeared quite as fast.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nearly 100% of churches met in person in August 2022, according to the report. That number is up from 75% in July 2020 and 98% in August of last year. In April 2020, around the time the lockdowns began in the United States, the number of churches meeting in person dropped as low as 10%, according to Lifeway Research. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While almost all church doors are open for in-person worship, not all congregants have returned. Attendance in churches is at 85% of what it was in January 2020, before the lockdowns began. That’s up from 73% in August of 2021 and a low of 60% in January 2021, meaning current church attendance is at the highest level in the last two years. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pastors ages 65 and older were more likely to report attendance between 30 to 50% of January 2020 levels, compared to pastors between 18 and 55 years of age who were more likely to report attendance greater than pre-lockdown levels. Female and black pastors were also more likely to report lower attendance levels than before the lockdowns. Additionally, Evangelical pastors were more likely, at 29%, to report higher attendance compared to pre-lockdown levels than mainline pastors, at 16%. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The responses also varied on region and denomination, showing pastors in the Midwest and South were more likely to report higher attendance than pastors in the Northeast. Baptists, Pentecostals, and Non-Denominational pastors were more likely to report greater attendance levels compared to January 2020 than Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterian/Reformed and Christian/Church of Christ pastors. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/voices/5-reasons-your-current-church-attendance-is-the-new-normal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-ed</a> in The Christian Post from February titled “5 Reasons Your Current Church Attendance Is The New Normal”, Thom Rainer, the former president of Lifeway Research and current CEO of Church Answers, outlined various reasons for struggling church attendance. Some reasons Rainer gave include having broken the habit of attending church, “digital attendees” who he says have dropped out entirely, and that some of those who no longer attend were already leaning towards exiting the church.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She really likes to attend the services in her casual clothes or pajamas,” Rainer wrote of a friend who attends church digitally. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rainer asked her how long it had been since attending a service digitally, and “she sheepishly admitted it had been about three months,&#8221; he said. &#8220;She is representative of a new and growing group called ‘the inactive digitals.’”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-christian-population-projected-to-drop-below-50-by-2070">Pew Research study</a>, the American Christian population could drop below 50% by 2070 based on current trends.  </span></p>

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Church Attendance Still Not Back To Pre-COVID Lockdown Levels: Survey

CONTINUE READING

South Korea Warns U.S. Of Possible ‘Hamas-Style’ Attack From North Korea

Trump Says Chinese President Will See A ‘Feeble And Compromised Politician’ In Biden At Upcoming Meeting

Toilet Paper Replaced With Framed Photos Of Product In D.C. Drugstore As Retail Theft Soars

5 Republican Florida State Legislators Switch DeSantis Endorsements To Trump

GOP Senator Warns Of China’s Ambitions, Says ‘The Dynamic Has Changed Dramatically’

Florida Sen. Rick Scott Endorses Trump For President, Says GOP Should ‘Unite’

News

Church

Churches

Religion

U.S.

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News —

Church Attendance Still Not Back To Pre-COVID Lockdown Levels: Survey