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FOUR THINGS WE’VE LEARNED DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS - BARNA GROUP
In a time of isolation and unprecedented change, the well-being of pastors and their people has been at the forefront of Barna’s research. We now find ourselves equipped with extensive data on what it has looked like as American churches have weathered the pandemic, and in this article, we’ll take a look at some trends that have emerged from these surveys.
1. IN THE MIDST OF DISRUPTIONS, NOT ALL LEADERS
ARE DOING WELL
As COVID-19 has impacted the daily routines and roles of pastors in many ways, are leaders finding time for their own spiritual development? Fifty-one percent report it has been easy (23% very, 28% somewhat), while another 49 percent have found it difficult (10% very, 39% somewhat) to prioritize this time.
When it comes to their people’s burdens, how ready are church leaders to help their congregants through their present mental and emotional troubles? Only three in 10 pastors (30%) say they feel “very wellequipped,” though the majority (64%) notes they feel “somewhat equipped,” with a remaining 6 percent responding they are “not well-equipped.” Additionally, two in five pastors (39%) reports that they or another staff member of their church have preached on the topic of mental or emotional health within the last month.
2. HALF OF PASTORS EXPECT TO SEE A DECLINE
IN ATTENDANCE
Throughout the pandemic, Barna researchers consistently asked pastors if they felt like their church attendance was going to grow, stay the same or decline once the crisis had resolved. Toward the beginning of the pandemic, pastors appeared to be more optimistic, with about three in ten hypothesizing growth for their churches and four in ten expecting to see consistent / unchanged attendance numbers following the pandemic. However, as churches transitioned into 2021, these numbers began to wane, highlighting a notable shift in expectations for church leaders across the country. In March of 2021, 28 percent of pastors said they expect their church will grow, 22 percent reported expecting their congregation size to stay the same and 4 percent said they have no idea what to expect. Overall, this leaves almost half (46%) of pastors saying they anticipate a decline in numbers. Barna has not observed a major change in these reported expectations since the spring of 2021.
Furthermore, giving appears to be down for roughly one in three congregations in the U.S., although only 6 percent of pastors report giving as being “significantly less” than it was before the pandemic. 46 percent of church leaders report that giving levels are “about the same.”
Although these statistics certainly can be seen as worrisome, in the early months of 2021 only 10 percent of pastors admitted their church was struggling financially, with expenses surpassing income.
3. MANY CONGREGATIONS OFFERED COMMUNITY SUPPORT
AMID CRISIS - AND THE COMMUNITY NOTICED
Over the course of the pandemic, church leaders and their people have continued to serve their community, primarily by helping distribute food and supplies and reaching out to elderly, isolated or at-risk community members. This trend has remained fairly steady since COVID-19 disruptions began, with 33 percent of pastors reporting in the summer of 2020 that their church was distributing food and supplies and another one in five (19%) saying their congregants were reaching out to elderly, isolated or at-risk community members.
Still, during the summer of 2020, when many churches were most active in their community-support efforts, a quarter of pastors (25%) admitted their church did not have an official / organized response.
Did the community take notice of the role the Church has played during the past year and a half? Well, in May of 2021, Barna asked U.S. adults if they felt like Christian pastors in their community had been strong leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. A solid majority
Did the community take notice of the role the Church has played during the past year and a half? Well, in May of 2021, Barna asked U.S. adults if they felt like Christian pastors in their community had been strong leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. A solid majority of adults (both churched and unchurched adults alike) agreed with this statement (65%).
4. PASTORS STILL EXPRESS HOPE FOR THEIR CHURCHES’
FUTURE
Despite the myriad challenges COVID-19 has presented to our society, almost all pastors are now fairly certain that their churches will survive the pandemic (83% very confident).
Pastors have taken advantage of opportunities to innovate over the last year and a half. In January 2021, 61 percent said their church planned to explore new community outreach programs or activities in 2021.
Two in three leaders started using new technology forums like YouTube (45%) and Facebook (32%) due to the pandemic. In total, seven in ten church leaders say their ministry priorities as a church changed in the last year (17% substantially, 53% somewhat). This data shows us that much has changed and many have innovated, perhaps for the first time.
These are some of the things we now know about the present well-being of churches in the U.S., according to the pastors who lead them—but there is much we don’t know yet. How will the online methods of worship and liturgy continue to evolve? When will the finances of both organizations and individuals recover? What will be the mental and emotional toll on leaders and churchgoers who have faced loneliness, anxiety and grief? Should congregations plan to approach additional periods of social distancing as the world continues to fight the disease? How can churches best partner to help the vulnerable in this time?
These are the right questions to be asking as we lead forward, and at Barna Group, we plan to continue to ask – and answer – these questions alongside you. ABOUT THE RESEARCH
Barna Group conducted a total of 20 surveys online among Protestant Senior Pastors from March 20, 2020 – March 22, 2021. Participants are all members of Barna Group’s Church Panel. Quotas and minimal weighting have been used to ensure the sample is representative based on denomination, region and church size. Sample size varies from 250-500 church leaders depending on the survey.
n=2,007 U.S. adults, April 23-May 5, 2021.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BARNA’S METHODOLOGY, VISIT BARNA.COM.
ABOUT BARNA
Barna is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
This article falls under the theme “The Church at Present.” Please mark the by line as Barna Group and not me specifically, as this article was adapted from a piece written by our editorial staff. I am not the sole author.
