What Will Churches Be Like After Reopening? CBE Survey Has Some Shocking Findings!

As churches reopen in some parts of the country, what changes can pastors expect? And, in general, what will church life be like for the average congregation in America after the pandemic? A new survey from the Center for Bible Engagement (CBE) anticipates some key trends that churches will experience. Here are three that will affect most congregations coast to coast: (1) a dip in weekly worship attendance among regular weekly attenders, (2) an increase in online attendance when the pandemic ends , and (3) an increase in traffic from occasional attenders. Arnie Cole, CEO of Back to the Bible and Director of Research for the CBE, says churches can "expect lots of shuffling in the pews" and innovative new ways of connecting with each other. "In our previous research among pastors and regular church attenders, we found that the vast majority of regular attenders are participating in online worship services during the COVID-19 pandemic," Cole says. "And one-third anticipate their in-person church attendance will not go back to pre-pandemic rates." Cole has learned from earlier congregation studies that 60 to 80% of the people sitting in the pews on a given Sunday are people who attend every week. The remaining 20 to 40% do so at most once or twice a month. "With this in mind we anticipate that many churches will see a dip in weekly worship attendance, post-pandemic, and those with the highest concentrations of regular weekly attenders will see the largest decreases," he explains. "But on the positive side, churches can expect to see a portion of their occasional attenders more often." Cole reports that 68% are participating in online worship services during the lock down period. Most (77%) anticipate that their church attendance will be the same after the pandemic. A minority (16%) expect to attend more often and 7% anticipate attending less. Considering the data for both regular and occasional attenders, most churches can expect a decrease in attendance and a high percentage of people who used to attend only occasionally. |
Tags : Church church after covid-19 pandemic church coronavirus lockdown church attendance lockdown church finances coronavirus
Hot Trends
-
Newsboys Frontman Michael Tait Accused of Sexual Assault and Misconduct
-
12th Annual K-LOVE Fan Awards: The Winners & How You Can Watch It
-
New Documentary “J. D. Greear Unmasked” Exposes Power Struggles Within the Southern Baptist Convention
-
Here Are the Winners of the 2024 K-LOVE Fan Awards
-
Brandon Lake Sparks Conversation on “Christianese” in Worship: Calls for Greater Accessibility in Music
-
The Tragic End of Kingdom Heir's Founder Steve French
-
Derek Webb, Former Caedmon's Call Guitarist and Vocalist, Attends the Dove Awards in a Dress
-
Bethel Music's Brandon Lake Joins Elevation Worship for "Graves into Gardens"
-
TobyMac Accused of Dabbling with Satanic Occult
-
American Idol's Breanna Nix’s Debut Single “Higher” Soars to No. 1
-
David and Tamela Mann's "The Live Breathe Fight" Tour Cancelled
-
Olivia Lane Releases New Single "God Shows Up"
-
Wilson Fairchild, Sons of the Statler Brothers, to Debut Album
-
New Trailer for "Testament," a Series Bringing to Life the Acts of the Apostles, is Out Now!
-
TrueSong, from the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, to Drop "Tell Someone"
Most Popular
-
Newsboys Frontman Michael Tait Accused of Sexual Assault and Misconduct
-
12th Annual K-LOVE Fan Awards: The Winners & How You Can Watch It
-
New Documentary “J. D. Greear Unmasked” Exposes Power Struggles Within the Southern Baptist Convention
-
Here Are the Winners of the 2024 K-LOVE Fan Awards
-
Brandon Lake Sparks Conversation on “Christianese” in Worship: Calls for Greater Accessibility in Music
-
The Tragic End of Kingdom Heir's Founder Steve French
-
Derek Webb, Former Caedmon's Call Guitarist and Vocalist, Attends the Dove Awards in a Dress
-
Bethel Music's Brandon Lake Joins Elevation Worship for "Graves into Gardens"
-
TobyMac Accused of Dabbling with Satanic Occult
-
American Idol's Breanna Nix’s Debut Single “Higher” Soars to No. 1
-
David and Tamela Mann's "The Live Breathe Fight" Tour Cancelled
-
Olivia Lane Releases New Single "God Shows Up"
-
Wilson Fairchild, Sons of the Statler Brothers, to Debut Album
-
New Trailer for "Testament," a Series Bringing to Life the Acts of the Apostles, is Out Now!
-
TrueSong, from the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, to Drop "Tell Someone"