Churches reopen, but congregants are missing, new study reveals

There may be a church, and it may have a steeple. But open the post-pandemic doors and there are likely far fewer people inside, a new survey revealed Wednesday.

While more churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship are open and holding services as they did pre-pandemic, fewer are attending: Just 27% of U.S. adults told the Pew Research Center they worship in-person, up 1% from September.

The number of Americans who said they view services on television or via online streaming, meanwhile, is up to 30% from September’s 28%.

Evangelicals and those who are registered Republicans or lean toward the GOP were most likely to say their church is back to pre-pandemic operations. That response came from 60% of evangelicals and 58% of Republicans. 

Mainline Protestant church members — such as those in the Episcopal, United Methodist, and Evangelical Lutheran churches — reported a 33% “return to normal,” while registered Democrats and those who lean Democratic reported 27% of their churches were open to the public and holding services as before.

Congregants of Catholic churches said 58% of those parishes were in pre-pandemic mode, and 21% of those who attend historically Black congregations reported similarly.

The survey, conducted March 7-13 among U.S. adults, had responses from 10,441 people who participated via what the District-based group called “self-administered web surveys.” Those without internet access are provided a tabled and a wireless internet connection, Pew said.

The poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points.

For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.