Press
Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations is a landmark study that offers a comprehensive picture of the pandemic’s impact on religious life in America. Whether you’re seeking statistics to support your story, interviews with experts, or resources to share with your readers, our website has everything you need. We welcome and encourage your questions.
Press releases
Please visit the News page of our website for the latest updates about this project as well as new resources and study results.
Press coverage
- Belonging Exchange | Beyond the Numbers: Moral Clarity and the Role of Congregations | 5.21.26
- Northwest Public Broadcasting | Unpacked: For the first time in 25 years, church attendance is rising. Here’s why it’s complicated | 5.26.26
- Kitsap Sun | Kitsap churches part of national trend that sees growing attendance | 5.13.26
- Times Leader | ‘Authentic community’: Churches seek local resonance, but the path isn’t | 5.11.26
- Free Republic | A Church Without Enough Leaders: Decline, Division, And The Future Of The Pulpit | 5.11.26
- Zenit | Study Reveals Increase in Church Attendance (and Donations): The Surprising (and Encouraging) Findings You Should Know | 5.10.26
- Study Reveals Increase in Church Attendance (and Donations): The Surprising (and Encouraging) Findings You Should Know | ZENIT – English
- WKYT | In-person worship climbs for first time in a generation | 5.7.26
- Hoodline | U.S. CHURCH ATTENDANCE RISES FOR FIRST TIME IN DECADES | 5.7.26
- News USA Today | Hartford Institute Reveals Congregational Rebound Trends in Uneven Religious Recovery | 5.7.26
- Christianity Daily | Church Attendance Shows Strongest Recovery Since Pandemic Closures | 5.1.26
- FāVS News | After 25 years of decline, US churches see attendance rebound, new study finds | 4.24.26
- Religion News Service | Worship attendance at churches up for the first time in decades, according to new report | 4.24.26
- Baptist News Global | Median US worship attendance rebounding after pandemic | 4.24.26
- Religion Unplugged | US Churches Rebound Unevenly After Pandemic Disruption | 4.24.26
- Ministry Watch | Church Attendance Up for First Time in Decades, According to New Report | 4.25.26
- Christian Post | Median worship attendance highest since COVID lockdowns: report | 4.29.26
- CT by the Numbers | Attendance at Religious Congregations Across U.S. Sees First Increase in 25 Years | 5.7.26
- Christian Post | Fewer pastors now feel like quitting, study finds| 2.1.26
- Faith & Leadership I Many Churchgoers are Engaging with Multiple Churches, new Research Finds I 8.19.25
- The Stream I Pastors Face Congregational Shift Toward ‘Two-Timing’ Churchgoers I 8.14.25
- Religion Unplugged I Crossroads Podcast: Apparently, More Americans are Attending Church I 8.8.25
- RNS I Church Membership May Be Declining, but Many Churchgoers are Double-Dosing I 8.6.25
- The Christian Post | Nearly half of churchgoers attend more than 1 congregation: survey | 6.18.25
- Christian Today I US Church Attendance and Engagement Up Since Pandemic I 6.25.25
- RNS I Pastors, Learn To Lean In To Your “Two-Timing” Congregants I 6.25.25
- CT By The Numbers I Data Reveals Increased Church Attendance, Engagement I 6.20.25
- Baptist Standard I Many Churchgoers Participate in More Than One I 6.17.25
- Religion Unplugged I US Churchgoers Report Deeper Faith Amid Growing Communities I 6.16.25
- RNS I What Church Do You Attend? Maybe More Than One, Survey Finds I 6.16.25
- Lifeway Research I 2 Tech Changes That Can Increase Giving I 3.31.25
- Lifeway Research I Church Income Rising, Bust Still Trails Inflation I 3.25.25
- Lifeway Research I Most Churches Report Good Financial Health I 3.19.25
- Faith & Leadership I Five Years After the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Here are Three Ways Congregations Continue to be Affected I 3.18.25
- RNS I Protestant Denominations Try New Ideas as they Face Declines in Members and Money I 3.17.25
- Religion Unplugged I $171 Million For Better Sermons: National Program Releases Preachers I 3.7.25
- Faith & Leadership I Church Income Isn’t Keeping Pace With Inflation I 2.4.25
- RNS I Most Congregations Avoid Discussing Politics, New Study Shows I 12.9.24
- FAVS News I Politics in the Pews? Analyzing Congregational Political Engagement I 12.4.24
- Religion Unplugged I Politics in the Pews? Analyzing Congregational Political Engagement I 11.23.24
- United Methodist Insight I Politics in the Pews? Analyzing Congregational Political Engagement I 11.19.24
- FAVS News I Spokane Orthodox Church Mirrors National Trend of Traditional Pandemic Response I 11.13.24
- RNS I The Election is Over. Will Trump’s GOP Give Up it’s Idolatry of Racism? I 11.12.24
- RNS I Did Religion Matter in the Election? I 11.7.24
- Lewis Center for Church Leadership I How Do Your Church’s Post-Pandemic Finances Compare? I 10.29.24
- RNS I Orthodox Churches Boomed During The Pandemic, but Calls Growth ‘mixed bag’ I 8.26.24
- NPR I Not Your Parents’ VBS: How vacation Bible schools are changing to meet new needs I 8.4.24
- FAVS News I New report reveals post-pandemic financial landscape of US churches I 7.18.24
- Religion News Service I Congregations In Best Financial Health Since Pandemic I 7.17.24
- USA Today I For American Clergy, The Burdens of Their Calling Threaten Well-Being I 5.26.24
- Future Christian I Pastoral Health, Leading Change, and Building Connection I 5.22.24
- The Christian Century I Background Checks, Essential For Kids Ministry I 5.22.24
- Faith & Leadership I Understanding Wellness and Mental Health Among Pastors in 2024 I 4.16.24
- Favs News I Part-time Clergy Score Highest in Every Health and Wellness Category I 4.16.24
- Lifeway Research I Why Are More Pastors Thinking About Quitting? I 4.10.24
- Graphs About Religion I Are Members of the Clergy Miserable? I 4.5.24
- Lewis Center for Church Leadership I Trends in Latino Congregations I 4.3.24
- Favs News I Study Finds Clergy Have Higher Wellbeing, But Notes Areas For Improvement I 4.1.24
- The Christian Post I Despite Discontent About Their Job, Wellness of Pastors Better I 3.28.24
- Baptist News Global I Here’s Some Good News on the Health of America’s Clergy I 3.28.24
- The Black Chronicle I Disproportionate Pandemic Impact on Black Churches I 3.25.24
- Religion News Service I Full-time Ministry Drains Too Many Clergy and Church Budgets I 3.15.24
- Baptist News Global I New Study Proves Divisions Created in Churches by COVID I 3.14.24
- News Channel Nebraska I Empty Churches are Becoming Apartments, Museums I 3.4.24
- Lake Union Herald I From Condemned to Cornerstone: The Revival of Detroit Center Church I 3.4.24
- New Castle News I Talk to Focus on Post-Pandemic State of Churches I 2.14.24
- Baptist News Global I Technology has Become More Critical for U.S Churches Since the Pandemic I 2.7.24
- Faith & Leadership I Lessons from Pastors Who Have Left Parish Ministry I 2.6.24
- Baptist News Global I The Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Season I 2.2.24
- Patheos I Crisis in the Clergy I 1.18.24
- Good Faith Media I Clergy Discontentment Continues to Rise I 1.18.24
- Faith & Lead | Clergy Discontentment Continues to Rise | 1.17.24
- Associated Press | Clergy burnout is a growing concern in polarized churches. A summit offers coping strategies | 1.12.24
- Associated Press | US pastors struggle with post-pandemic burnout. Survey shows half considered quitting since 2020 | 1.12.24
- PODCAST: Player FM | Clergy, Congregations, and Hope After the Pandemic, with Scott Thumma, Director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research | 1.10.24
- Baptist News Global | New study documents how race influenced congregational reactions to COVID challenges | 1.10.24
- Biblical Recorder | Black churches suffered but were resilient during COVID, new study finds | 1.9.24
- Religion Unplugged | Black Churches Hardest Hit By The Pandemic, But Did More To Promote Vaccines | 1.4.24
- Religion News Service | Pandemic boosted resilience, hurt financial health of Black churches, says report | 1.4.24
- Religion News Service I COVID-19 health emergency is ending but faith-based vaccine clinics continue I 5.10.23
- Faith+Lead | The Pandemic’s Impact on the Congregation’s Bottom Line | 4.3.23
- The Roys Report I Barna Survey: Pastor’s Confidence in Ministry Calling Has Sharply Declined I 3.18.23
- Faith and Leadership | Declining Volunteerism is Changing the Church Experience | 3.7.23
- Washington Post | Donations to Catholic Parishes Steady, Post-Pandemic, But By Far Fewer Donors | 2.9.23
- Religion News Service | As Pennsylvania’s ‘Bible Belt’ Evolves, Clergy Look to One Another for Mutual Support | 2.6.23
- Outreach Magazine | After the Tornado | 1.25.23
- UCC Vital Signs & Statistics | Churches and Ministers at the End of the Pandemic | 9.5.22
- Religion News Foundation I The American Church is Reorganizing…Now What I 8.11.22
- Faith & Leadership | The Great Resignation: Are Pastors Resigning, Redefining or Reevaluating? | 7.26.22
- Disruptive Dialogues Podcast | The Online Church Dilemma | 7.18.22
- Lewis Center for Church Leadership | The Pandemic’s Real Impact on Clergy and Congregations | 5.23.22
- Interruptions Podcast I Parking Lot Series #1 I 6.18.22
- The Altamont Enterprise | Religious Education Curtailed by Pandemic | 5.4.22
- Baptist News Global | Church Religious Education Took More of a Hit Than Worship During Pandemic | 5.4.22
- Christianity Today | Sunday School Paused During the Pandemic. Will it Come Back? | 4.29.22
- Religion News Service | Half of Churches Say Sunday School, Other Religious Education Programs Disrupted by Pandemic | 4.28.22
- Christianity Today | Our Pulpits Are Full of Empty Preachers | 4.19.22
- Faith & Leadership | What Are We Rebuilding and Why? | 4.19.22
- Newsy | Pandemic Aftermath Leads to Mixed Bag for Religious Attendance | 4.15.22
- Baptist News Global | Smaller Churches Are Both Endangered and Resilient, Panel Reports | 4.5.22
- Religion News Service | Study: More Congregations Are Reopening But Attendance Remains Flat | 3.22.22
- Religion News Service | Is a Great Resignation Brewing for Pastors? | 3.18.22
- The Conversation | Can Churches Be Protectors of Public Health? | 2.25.22
- Religion Unplugged | Bread Breakers: New Jersey Church Finds Creative Way to do Ministry During Pandemic | 2.16.22
- Religion News Service | Houses of Worship Grapple With the Future of Their Online Services | 2.14.22
- Religion News Service | Streaming Online Has Been a Boon for Churches, a Godsend for Isolated | 2.1.22
- Outreach Magazine | Most Churches Taking On New Ministry Opportunities During Pandemic | 1.5.22
- CNBC | Millennials Lead Shift Away from Organized Religion as Pandemic Tests Americans’ Faith | 12.29.21
- Christianity Today | Study: Church Outreach Expands to Meet Pandemic Needs | 12.24.21
- Baptist News Global | Survey Says: More Than Half of U.S. Congregations Started New Ministries During COVID | 12.22.21
- Religion News Service | Churches’ Ministry to Those Hurt by the Pandemic Shows ‘Monumental’ Growth, Study Says | 12.21.21
- Religion News Service | As COVID-19 Continues, Church-Run Food Pantries, Ministries Adapt and Expand | 12.06.21
- NPR | Worshipers Found Religious Home Near and Far Thanks to Virtual Services | 11.04.21
- The Post and Courier | ‘New Normal’ for Charleston-area Churches Involves Hybrid Worship, Community Programs | 11.21.21
- Spokane Public Radio | Study Shows Churches Find “New Norms” During Pandemic | 11.13.21
- Baptist News Global | Most Comprehensive Study Yet of COVID’s Impact on Churches Finds Uneven Results | 11.12.21
- Baptist Standard | Most Churches Provide Hybrid Worship As Result of Pandemic | 11.11.21
- Spokane FāVS | Study Shows Churches Find “New Norms” During Pandemic | 11.10.21
- Religion News Service | Amid COVID-19, most churches provide hybrid worship, half stopped picnics | 11.10.21
- Religion News Service | ‘COVID has been harder on us’: some Black churches remain hesitant to reopen | 10.04.21
- Connecticut Public Radio | Hartford Institute for Religion Research Leads Study of COVID Impact on Faith Communities | 08.12.21
- Connecticut By the Numbers | Record-Setting Grants Set Stage for Breakthrough Research at UConn, Hartford International University | 08.02.21
- United Church of Christ News | UCC Included in $5M Study of COVID and the Church | 08.02.21
- Philanthropy News Digest | Hartford International University Receives $5 Million from Lilly Endowment | 07.31.21
- Hartford Courant | Hartford International University Gets $5.3 Million Grant to Study COVID’s Impact on Congregations | 07.27.21
- The Christian Post | Hartford International University Gets $5M to Study Impact of Pandemic on Churches | 07.26.21
- Hartford International University | Hartford International University Receives $5 Million Lilly Endowment Grant | 07.26.21
- Spokane FāVS | We want to know how your congregation has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic | 03.15.21
- Hartford International University | EPIC Project Beginning Outreach to Congregations on COVID Impact | 03.15.21
- Hartford International University | Sarah Brown Hired as Project Director for Grant to Study COVID Impact | 03.02.21
- Hartford International University | Lilly Endowment Awards $300,000 Planning Grant to Study Pandemic Impact | 02.15.21