Navigating the Pandemic: A First Look at Congregational Responses

Covid Religion Research ^ | 11/9/21

[marshmallow]

The Hartford Institute for Religion Research has released a study giving the first glimpse of how U.S. congregations are navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and data shows that congregational life is far from being “back to normal.”

The study, Navigating the Pandemic: A First Look at Congregational Responses, includes 2,074 survey responses from 38 Christian denominational groups from mid-June to the end of August 2021, and is part of a larger project entitled Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations.

“These findings from the summer clearly show that the pandemic has had a profound impact across the religious spectrum, and that some churches are faring better than others,” said Principal Investigator Scott Thumma. “The fact that 83% of churches had at least one member test positive shows that almost no congregation was spared, but over two-thirds feel they will emerge stronger than before implies these faith communities are a resilient bunch.”

Research shows 80% of churches are now offering hybrid services with both in-person and remote options, while only 15% are solely worshipping in person. However, during the height of the pandemic when people around the country were experiencing severe isolation over half of the churches surveyed (54%) reported completely discontinuing fellowship events, rather than moving them online.

[Fester Chugabrew]

All because we swallow everything from the MSM.