• “Is your congregation willing to change to meet new challenges?”
  • congregations that “strongly agree,” 46% 
  • congregations that “somewhat agree,” 37% 
  • congregations that “strongly disagree,” “disagree” or are “unsure,” 15% 
• In the South 44% of congregations experienced the highest level of growth.
• In all of the other regions, 31% or less of the congregations grew significantly. 
• Downtown and central city congregations are second most likely to experience significant growth
  • they are also more likely to decline than all other areas (26% are declining), followed by towns and small cities (23%) and rural areas (21%).
• In newer suburbs, only 10% of the congregations declined.
• Least likely to grow rapidly are predominantly white,  non-Hispanic congregations.
  • Among these congregations, only 31% experienced the highest level of growth from 2000 to 2005.
• Congregations where older adults (over age 60) comprise 20% or less of active adult participants are most likely to grow.
  • Congregations in which more than 40% of their regular participants are over 60 are very unlikely to grow. 
• Evangelical denominations have very few self-defined liberal churches (only 4% say they are liberal)
• 57% of congregations in evangelical denominations say their active adult members are predominantly conservative.
• 18% of mainline churches claim to be liberal, 25% are right in the middle, 32% are somewhat conservative and 25% are predominantly conservative.
• 12% of congregations have three services and 11% have four or more on a typical weekend.
• Among congregations that never or seldom involve children in worship, 32% declined in worship attendance, as compared to only 5% of congregations which always included children.
• When congregations were asked if they agree or disagree with the statement, “our congregation wants more members,” 72% said they strongly agree and another 22% said they agree somewhat.

Read full article

Read Congregational Growth Study