Southern Baptists lost nearly half a million members in 2022
United StatesRNS The long, slow decline of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination continues. Membership in the Southern Baptist Convention was down by nearly half a million in 2022, according to a recently released denomination report. Nashville-based Lifeway Research reported on Tuesday that the SBC had 13.2 million members in 2022, down from 13.68 million in […]
US Hispanic Protestant churches are young, growing and largely new to the country
United StatesRNS Hispanic Protestant churches are growing in the United States, and many of these congregations are relatively new, identify as evangelical and largely include people who are new to the country, according to a recently released survey. The study, conducted by evangelical research firm Lifeway, found that less than nine per cent of Hispanic congregations […]
When it comes to Halloween, pastors have opinions, according to new survey
United StatesRNS How do Christians celebrate Halloween? It might depend on their pastor, according to a survey, released Tuesday, by Lifeway Research of Protestant Christian pastors from all across the United States. More than 90 per cent of pastors encourage their congregations to observe 31st October in a particular way, but that ranges from avoiding […]
More US Protestant pastors say the economy is hurting their churches – poll
RNS A new survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors finds that half are concerned the economy is hurting their churches. The survey from Lifeway, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, also found that most pastors say congregational giving is in line with the previous year. In the survey, 52 per cent said the economy was […]
More than survival: For a small Chicago church, closing down was an act of faith
BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service, reports on the closure of Grace Evangelical Covenant Church on Chicago’s North Side…
Measuring COVID-19’s effect: Southern Baptists report 19 per cent attendance drop
United StatesRNS Anecdotally, clergy have talked about the disruption in worship attendance in this pandemic age. Now, Southern Baptists have statistics to prove it. The average in-person weekly attendance at Southern Baptist Convention churches declined 18.75 per cent, from 4,439,797 in 2020 to 3,607,530 in 2021. Christian education saw an even larger decrease of 22.15 […]
Essay: Is a ‘Great Resignation’ brewing for pastors?
In an article published on Religion News Service, SCOTT THUMMA, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, says that if there is a mass exodus, it’s likely not the pandemic alone that burned clergy out…
For New Year’s resolutions, better health ranks higher than God, family or money
RNS When making a New Year’s resolution, Americans take a bit of advice from the beloved 1987 film The Princess Bride: “If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.” Just under half of Americans (44 per cent) said they have made resolutions in the past to address their health, according to a new survey from Lifeway […]
In the US, more Protestant churches closing than opening, study finds
RNS A new study from Lifeway Research suggests more Protestant churches closed in 2019 than opened – continuing a decades-long congregational slide that is only expected to accelerate. The study, which analysed church data from 34 Protestant denominations and groups, found that 4,500 churches closed in 2019, while about 3,000 new congregations were started. The 34 […]
US churchgoers say they plan to return to in-person services – survey
RNS A study of 1,000 US Protestant churchgoers found 91 per cent said they planned on returning to in-person worship when it is safe to do so. The study from Lifeway Research, a non-profit affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, suggests churchgoers are eager to return to pre-pandemic worship practices. “Many of these pastors are wondering if […]