Recently, Barna Group revealed findings regarding “The New Sunday Morning,” highlighting trends in church attendance and engagement since the response to COVID-19 began in March 2020 and social distancing pushed services online. Barna researchers identified three distinct types of churchgoers in this digital era: Christians streaming their pre-pandemic church online, those streaming a different church, and those who have stopped attending altogether. (Note: A small segment of previously unchurched individuals began attending online during the pandemic; however, this group was not statistically significant enough to be included in this report.)
In this article, we will examine each of these groups, including generational and emotional trends. This data was collected between late April and early May 2020, so percentages may have shifted as the pandemic progressed. Many leaders are still navigating the challenges of pandemic church attendance recovery, with a notable portion of missed pre-pandemic attendees remaining disengaged from their local congregations.
The responses reflected here—captured during the height of U.S. social distancing measures—provide instructive insights for church leaders moving forward. Understanding these shifts in engagement is particularly relevant as churches continue to adapt their ministry models in a post-pandemic landscape.
1 in 3 Practicing Christians Is Still and Only Attending Their Pre-COVID Church
Recent data show that, among practicing Christians—those who identify as Christian, agree strongly that faith is very important in their lives and attend church at least monthly (prior to COVID-19)—over half (53%) say they have streamed their regular church online within the past four weeks. Another 34% admit to streaming a different church service online other than their own, essentially “church hopping” digitally.
Finally, about one-third of practicing Christians (32%) says they have done neither of these things. Though some of these churchgoers may be part of the minority of congregations that were still gathering for physical worship during these weeks, we can, for the most part, confidently interpret this group as those who have dropped out of church for the time being.
Some respondents share that, over four weeks, they streamed both their church’s online service as well as a different church’s service, perhaps taking advantage of the variety and surge of digital options. However, the plurality has stayed tuned in to their “home” church even at home; when looking for practicing Christians who are still and only attending their pre-COVID-19 church, we find that just over a third (35%) says this has been their course of action.
Commitment extends to frequency of attendance during distancing as well; practicing Christians who stream the same church they attended before COVID-19 are significantly more likely than those who have switched churches to attend on a weekly basis (81% vs. 65%).
We see that very few (14%) have actually made a church switch amid the pandemic. It is more likely for a Christian to have stopped attending church altogether during the pandemic; in fact, 32 percent of practicing Christians have done just that. The remaining 18 percent of practicing Christians are viewing worship services from multiple churches throughout the month.
Used by permission of Barna Group. Read more at The New Sunday Morning published on June 3, 2020.
