Research and Trends

Those leading the smallest churches, with fewer than 50 in attendance at weekend worship services, are among the most likely to say their congregations have a growing fear about the future of the country and world (72%).

Similarly, younger pastors, those 18-44, are the most likely to say they’re very familiar with deconstruction (36%), while pastors 65 and older are the least likely to possess that same level of familiarity (12%).

Compared to 2019, fewer churchgoers today see video streaming as a valid replacement for physically attending church when sick or caring for someone who is sick (76% v. 69%), traveling (60% v. 48%), too far away to attend (45% v. 38%) and when they get up late (36% v. 24%).

The national sample of 1,010 evangelical Protestants was shown the same ad, but the child pictured was either Asian, Black, Latino, or White.

According to Barna, “Pastors who haven’t thought about leaving ministry say 'the immense stress of the job' (34%), 'current political divisions' (32%) and feeling 'lonely and isolated' (18%) are factors that have negatively impacted their ability to lead at their church within the past year.”

More than 3 in 4 American Protestant churchgoers say tithing is a biblical command that still applies today (77%).

Most Protestant churchgoers say their churches encourage them to serve people not affiliated with their church and that they want to do so. But few have volunteered in the past year.

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.