Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations

08/31/2026

Read about the new director of Hartford Institute for Religion Research, Dr. Allison Norton!

Allison Norton has spent her career asking the questions religious communities are already asking themselves

07/20/2026

A new report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research finds that 67% of U.S. megachurches have grown since before COVID-19, with nearly all of them (97%) describing their congregation as "spiritually vital and alive" — the highest mark in the survey's 25-year history.
See full report here:

America's megachurches have not just recovered from the pandemic — they've come back stronger.

07/08/2026

A pastor's take on our "Signs of Rebound Amid Uneven Recovery" findings: congregations aren't just recovering — many are recalibrating into something new. One clergy member reflects on what that looks like from the pulpit, and why the deepest signs of congregational health may never show up in an attendance graph. https://www.covidreligionresearch.org/what-i-see-every-sunday-before-worship/
Asylum Hill Congregational Church

06/23/2026

Research doesn’t just live in academic journals — it can spark conversations, stories and a deeper understanding of our communities.

In this appreciation of Scott Thumma, journalist G Jeffrey MacDonald reflects on how Thumma’s decades of work studying congregations — and his willingness to collaborate with journalists — helped advance reporting on the changing landscape of American religious life.

Read the full piece: https://bit.ly/4erRHtr

As a sociologist of religion, Dr. Scott Thumma used all of the above to help disseminate the breadth of what he’s learned over decades about congregations in America.

06/09/2026

Thanks, Sojourners, for this article!

For the first time since 2022, congregations are growing—and it goes beyond in-person attendance.

06/08/2026

"They might just be getting their religion for the week when they're showing up for church."

That's how Hartford Institute researcher Charissa Mikoski describes a striking new finding: nearly 40% of church attenders don't regularly engage in faith practices outside of Sunday.

Reporter Tara Roberts has the full story.

For many churchgoers, much of their religious and spiritual engagement ends when the worship service does, according to new research..

06/02/2026

The Church of England is showing a COVID-rebound

The Church said it was encouraged by five years in a row of growth while acknowledging that growth, attendance and participation remain below pre-pandemic levels.

05/27/2026

Are churchgoers "spiritual but also religious?" New research from the EPIC Attender Survey has some surprising answers — including that nearly 40% of church attenders regularly engage in neither religious nor spiritual practices outside of worship.

Worth a read:

Most American churchgoers are deeply engaged in traditional religious practices — but far fewer incorporate broader spiritual practices into their daily lives.

05/26/2026

We’ve been blown away by the response to the latest report!
Grateful to all the journalists, editors, and media outlets helping bring these findings to wider audiences.

Seeking statistics to support your story, interviews with experts, or resources to share with your readers? Learn more here.

05/06/2026

Our own Dr. Allison Norton will be part of this RNS panel. Check it out on June 3!