Church attendance continues to fall, now below pre-pandemic levels: poll
Jun 27, 2023
By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Jack Aylmer (Producer)
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U.S. Church Attendance Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels
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Church Attendance Down As The Mental Health Crisis Runs Amuck
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Poll: U.S. Church Attendance Below Pre-Pandemic Level
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The way Americans practice their faith is undergoing a transformation, as traditional religious institutions have witnessed a decline in attendance and individuals explore alternative avenues to express their spirituality. While a significant portion of the population identifies as religious, only about one in four Americans currently attend religious services, according to a recent Gallup poll.
The impact of the pandemic on church attendance has been profound, with levels dropping as low as 29% of the U.S. population, including both physical and virtual attendees. Surprisingly, even though the pandemic offered new opportunities for individuals to engage with religious services online, the number of people affiliated with a church, whether in-person or virtually, hit an all-time low since the survey’s inception in 1939. However, a closer examination reveals that the decline in church attendance was a trend that had been ongoing for years prior to the pandemic.
“It is not clear if the pandemic is the cause of the reduced attendance or if the decline is a continuation of trends that were already in motion,” Jeffrey M. Jones, a senior editor for Gallup, wrote.
In the 1950s, religious service attendance reached its peak, with one in every two Americans participating in religious gatherings at churches, synagogues, mosques, or temples. By 2012, that number had declined to 40%, indicating a 10-point dip over a 60-year span. Comparatively, from 2012 to 2022, church attendance experienced another 10-point decline over just a 10-year period, bringing the percentage of churchgoers to a mere 30%.
Although the pandemic further exacerbated the decrease in church attendance, the preceding years already indicated a significant shift in religious engagement.
While the pandemic resulted in an all-time low for church attendance, the trend leading up to this point suggests that the country was already headed in that direction, with the health emergency merely hastening the process.
With a declining congregation and approximately 5% of followers participating remotely, churches find themselves with only 25% of the population walking through their doors. This reality necessitates a careful examination of how religious institutions can adapt to changing times.
Despite the decline in attendance at organized religious services, a substantial 76% of the U.S. population still holds religious beliefs. However, the majority of individuals choose to practice their faith in ways that extend beyond the traditional confines of religious institutions.
Media Landscape
This story is a Media Miss by the left as only 11% of the coverage is from left leaning media.
Learn more about this dataLeft 11%
Center 22%
Right 67%
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
+0
Click to close
Left
+0
Click to close
Headline Unavailable
Click to see story on Newsmax
U.S. Church Attendance Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels
Click to see story on RedState
Church Attendance Down As The Mental Health Crisis Runs Amuck
Click to see story on The Federalist
Poll: U.S. Church Attendance Below Pre-Pandemic Level
Click to see story on Breitbart
Click to close
Far
Right
+0
Click to close
12 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
12
Leaning Left
1
Center
2
Leaning Right
6
Last Updated
10 months ago
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