(RNS) — I’ve been a pastor for more a decade, meaning there are few awkward conversations I haven’t had. Twice in the space of the past three months, however, parishioners have come to my office to make a confession I’ve never heard before: They attend other congregations in addition to mine. Often sheepish, they both used the language of “cheating” on the church.
If recently released data on post-COVID-19 congregational life is any indication, I should be prepared to have more of these conversations. According to the most recent findings of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, in a study titled “Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations,” some 46% of those surveyed said they sometimes attend other congregations, and 7% identify as having more than one “home” church.
Part of what makes this possible is that many churches offer online worship options, which make it incredibly easy to sample a new congregation and get a taste of its life and ministry. I used to have to explain my very progressive American Baptist church to new visitors. Today, the majority have already worshipped with us remotely and are ready to dive in. It’s not just church shopping that the internet makes easier: Watching online means people can keep up with multiple congregations at the same time even if they don’t attend in person.
Plenty of my pre-COVID congregants are skeptical of online worship. Some believe it might be the cause of fewer people joining us in person. But it’s always been my assertion that cutting off online access wouldn’t bring people to the pews on Sunday; we would simply lose our connection to many families.
Hartford’s study seems to back this up. The primary users of online worship are young families, who are often juggling multiple commitments, such as their kids’ Sunday soccer games. Having a virtual option helps keep them engaged. It also offers a chance for committed members to miss a Sunday or two but still be connected with what we are doing and the conversations that are forming our life together.
Survey participants agreed that worshipping online is a great opportunity for multitasking, as two-thirds admit to doing things while following along with the service by offering prayers, singing hymns and generally participating as they are able.
“Regularly Participate in Other Congregations” (Graphic courtesy of HIRR)
In-person worship hasn’t lost its importance — the survey found that 80% of congregants prefer gathering physically. But in my church we’ve found that worshipping online does have its perks — personally, I miss being able to sip my coffee and lead worship at the same time — so during the summers, we take two weeks of online-only worship to reclaim some of the benefits it offered during the pandemic.
One thing I’ve kept my eye on in my congregation is turnover. We have many of the same faces, but plenty of people have moved geographically or moved on spiritually while new faces have joined us in the years since the pandemic. Of those surveyed by Hartford, 38% came to their current spiritual home after the pandemic. That’s a startling number, indicating a lot of seeking and finding of spiritual resources. If anything, that ought to be encouraging for pastors like me, as new people continue to seek places to plug in.
The Hartford study comes at a good time for my colleagues in the several clergy groups that I belong to. There is lower church attendance overall, which in turn brings financial woes and low morale. I don’t know many who aren’t feeling the pressure.
The Hartford report offers reasons for optimism. Even if there are fewer people in the pews on Sunday, those who have stayed the course have increased their spiritual pursuits. Some 90% of those surveyed report engaging in daily devotional practices like Scripture reading and prayer. Perhaps even more encouraging, some half of church members surveyed volunteer monthly.
“What Online Worshippers Do During the Service” (Graphic courtesy of HIRR)
For me, this report is all about embracing the sorts of momentum that churches have currently. Many people I talk to yearn for pre-pandemic life, but that is impossible. What we have is right in front of us. Attending worship online or in person is easier than ever, and that means increased competition and pressure to keep things relevant and exciting. There is also plenty to celebrate about the astounding resilience of congregational life and patterns of belonging in this report.
What is important is that churches, and we who lead them, lean into the positive signs of growth right in front of our very eyes, instead of engaging in nostalgia. The church will be all right, and it looks like there is plenty of thriving ahead of us in the coming years. That looks like grace to me. The only question is whether we are ready to receive it.
(The Rev. Michael Woolf is senior minister of Lake Street Church of Evanston, Illinois, and the author of “Sanctuary and Subjectivity: Thinking Theologically About Whiteness and Sanctuary Movements.” The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)
