Tag: Aaron Earls

More than 1 in 10 churchgoers say someone in their congregation has provided foster care (16%), adopted a child from the U.S. (13%) or adopted a child from another country (11%) within the last year.

Slightly more churches today have reserves ranging from 16 to 51 weeks. In 2016, 27% said that was the case. Today, 32% have that amount on hand. The percentage of pastors today who say their congregation has more than a year’s worth is similar to 2016 (23% in 2016 vs. 24% now).

As new members join Hispanic Protestant churches, they become part of congregations that are actively trying to grow together, according to their pastors. Almost 9 in 10 (88%) say their church has a plan to foster community in their church, including 53% who strongly agree.

Christians split between those who don’t believe this is the end times (49%) and those who do (47%), including 20% who believe Jesus will return after global circumstances worsen.

Mainline pastors are more likely than their evangelical counterparts to say their most attended service is on Christmas Eve (60% v. 44%), while evangelical pastors are more likely than mainline ministers to say their highest attendance event is during the third week of December (30% v. 17%).

Despite churches returning to pre-pandemic levels of holding in-person services, not all churchgoers have followed suit.

Most pastors in all denominational groups say women could be ministers to children, ministers to teenagers, committee leaders or coed adult Bible study teachers in their churches.

Most pastors have experience with mental illness in their congregations.