Pastors

Church Math

Attendance figures inflated.

Gallup’s numbers, showing steady U.S. church attendance over five decades, may be artificially high, new research shows.

The Gallup Poll has asked the question, “Did you go to church or synagogue in the past seven days?” and received a 40 percent affirmative response since 1939. But researchers noticed that did not translate into 118 million Americans filling the pews each week.

According to The Barna Group, 76 million adults regularly do not go to church. In fact, about one-third of the population surveyed has not attended any type of church gathering, outside of weddings and funerals, in the past six months.

To answer the discrepancy, researchers Kirk Hadaway and Penny Marler developed a “count-based” estimate of church attendance, using the number of churches in the United States and determining the average attendance at these churches. They arrived at an attendance figure of about 20 percent of U.S. adults.

In consumerism a desire is never illegitimate, it is only unmet.

While other researchers doubt Hadaway and Marler’s research methods, most conclude that fewer Americans are attending church than was previously thought. That’s because many adults do not consider church attendance to be essential to their faith.

Six out of ten unchurched people consider themselves to be Christian. Out of this group, the largest number are Catholic (29%), while 18 percent identify themselves as Baptist. Of the remaining unchurched, 77 percent say they are “absolutely or moderately” committed to Christianity.

A separate Barna survey indicates that only 17 percent of adults believe that “a person’s faith is meant to be developed mainly by involvement in a local church.”

Even among adults with a biblical worldview, only about one quarter embraced the importance of church attendance in a person’s spiritual life.

People also tend to be easier on themselves when they miss church due to vacation or other scheduling conflicts. They may answer pollsters according to what they “usually do,” rather than their actual actions the previous week.

Numbers vary, but whatever way you look at it, it adds up to fewer people in church.

—from www.christianitytoday.com and www.barna.org

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. Click here for reprint information onLeadership Journal.

Our Latest

News

Northern Seminary Presidential Installation Goes Awry

It’s unclear whether Joy Moore resigned her leadership at the suburban Chicago school.

News

How Abortion Pills Change the Fight for Life

Texas pregnancy centers adjust their services as women increasingly access mifepristone by mail.

‘The Chosen Adventures’ Educates Our Smallest Bible Scholars

The animated spinoff on the adult show is a heady attempt to disciple kids on the life of Jesus.

Review

Suffering Comes in Many Forms. So Does Theodicy.

Scripture attests to God’s distinct plans to wipe individual tears from individual eyes.

The Bulletin

Hamas Crackdown, Rural Hospitals, and Why Brides Wear White

Hamas punishes political enemies, the importance of rural hospitals, and how purity culture influences modern weddings.

Naomi Raine Isn’t Playing Games

The founding member of Maverick City Music is releasing new songs as a solo artist with an impressive roster of guests.

News

Shrinking Palestinian Christian Population Wary of Cease-Fire

“As people, we can live together … because this is what Jesus asked us to do.”

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube