Essay: Burned out, exhausted, leaving – new US survey finds clergy are not OK
MICHAEL WOOLF, senior minister of Lake Street Church of Evanston in the US state of Illinois, says, in an article first published on Religion News Service, that this isn’t the time for US congregations to be facing a massive leadership transition…
Church music: Young organists pull out all the stops to inspire interest in a “complex” instrument
ADELLE M BANKS, of Religion News Service, reports that 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…
Ongoing role: COVID-19 health emergency is ending but in the US, faith-based vaccine clinics continue
Over the last few years, African American congregations have provided outsized action on getting people tested and vaccinated. ADELLE M BANKS, of Religion News Service, reports on how this will look going forward…
Church attendance: More Americans stay away as pandemic nears year three
Many Americans already had dropped out of church life before the pandemic. BOB SMIETANA reports that a new survey shows COVID-19 gave them a reason to let go completely…
“Not just the ramp”: Worship spaces need more accessibility
HOLLY MEYER, of Associated Press, reports on how churches and other worship spaces in the US are responding to the needs of the less-abled…
From monthly to missing: In the US, Sunday school looks different since pandemic’s start
ADELLE M BANKS, of Religion News Service, reports on the challenges facing Sunday schools after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered churches…
A ‘post-denominational’ era?: Inside the rise of the unaffiliated church
TRACY SIMMONS, in an article first published on Religion Unplugged, reports on the growing number of denominationally unaffiliated churches in the US…
In the US, religious groups with immigrant members grew fastest over past decade
United StatesRNS A decennial study of US religious life shows what many demographers and others have long known: Participation in congregational services has not kept up with overall population growth. However, religious groups drawing large numbers of immigrants have seen steady growth. The US Religion Census, conducted every 10 years by the Association of Statisticians of American […]
Half of US churches say Sunday school, other education programs disrupted by pandemic
United StatesRNS Sunday school and other Christian education programs have suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, with half of congregations surveyed saying their programs were disrupted. A March, 2022, survey by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found that larger churches with more than 100 people were more successful in maintaining their educational programming for children […]
Financial toll: At many US churches, pandemic hits collection plates, budgets
HOLLY MEYER and HALELUYA HADERO, of The Associated Press, report on the financial stresses facing US churches…