Hartford Institute for Religion Research

09/16/2026

📊 More than five years after COVID-19 disrupted congregational life — what's changed, and what have clergy learned?

Join us for a conversation on our study, drawing on responses from more than 7,400 congregations across 79 denominations and faith traditions. We'll dig into trends in attendance, finances, volunteering and clergy well-being — and what it all means for ministry leadership going forward.

🎙️ Featuring the Rev. David S. Matz (Sonnino Mission House, Berkeley) and Rev. Jason Jones (Country Homes Christian Church, Spokane Stories podcast)

Register here:

09/14/2026

At last month's Association for the Sociology of Religion meeting in New York, our team presented new Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations findings on faith across immigrant generations.

The surprise: Engagement doesn't fade gradually — it drops sharply after the first generation. Yet across all generations, roughly 9 in 10 attenders say their faith is very important to them.

The takeaway? Congregations may play an especially vital role for immigrant communities during moments of crisis — and face real questions about retaining families long-term.

— Dr. Joyce C. Chang, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

09/12/2026

🔎 FACT Partner Spotlight: Mike McMullen

Faith Communities Today (FACT) brings together multiple denominations and faith traditions in partnership with the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, tracking congregational life, leadership and participation across U.S. religious communities since 2000.

This month, we're highlighting Mike McMullen, a Steering Committee member and Governance Committee Chair representing the Baha'i Faith.

As one of the few sociologists studying the Baha'i Faith in the U.S., McMullen said FACT has given him trend data on Baha'i community life unavailable anywhere else.

One surprising finding: While attendance at Baha'i 19-Day Feasts has stayed flat over the past 25 years, participation in children's and adult education has steadily climbed.

Even more encouraging — the number of Baha'i communities that strongly agree their community is spiritually alive and vital has also steadily increased, even through the pandemic years.

09/10/2026

"Perhaps it's working differently."

In a new clergy commentary, Rev. Tara Humphries reflects on how a multifaith organizing group in Portland, Maine, has reshaped their approach to ministry and wellbeing — not through self-care alone, but through mutual support and shared justice work with fellow clergy.

"My yearning for wholeness is deeper," they write. "I yearn to be seen in my fullness ... as a leader and as a regular person."

Some of us are newer to ministry and others have been serving inPortland for decades.

09/08/2026

Financial uncertainty was one of the biggest fears facing congregations during the pandemic.

Today, despite inflation and ongoing economic uncertainty, many congregations report stable or even improving finances. While some are still struggling, the overall financial picture is stronger than many predicted just a few years ago.

What does this resilience tell us about how congregations have adapted — and what does financial sustainability look like going forward?

Read the full findings from Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations:

09/03/2026

A new Hartford Institute for Religion Research study finds the largest congregations are drawing more visitors, growing more diverse and reshaping how people engage with worship.

Read about it FāVS News!

A Hartford Institute study finds larger churches are seeing stronger attendance rebounds, greater diversity and new ways of engaging worshippers.

09/01/2026

Calling all clergy!

We are looking for clergy to write reflections on our Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations research. If you're a pastor interested in connecting scholarship to real congregational life, we want to hear from you.

Interested? Email [email protected] to learn more.

08/31/2026

Read more about Dr. Norton and how she got into religion research!

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

08/30/2026

How do our findings connect with your ministry experience?
We're looking for clergy to write some reflections for us! Interested? Just fill out this form:

08/27/2026

"So, to answer the question, was our church “saved by sandwiches?” Well, that happened to be the crisis to which we of New Dover were called, and it was because we had the faith to rapidly respond to that crisis, that we became the church we are now. But this shouldn’t surprise anyone, should it? From its beginning in the first century, the church has always been called upon to address specific needs in the community around it. How we respond will always determine whether we stand or fall."

— Rev. Rev. Chuck Coblentz, New Dover United Methodist Church in Edison, New Jersey
Read this clergy commentary here:

A reflective article exploring how a United Methodist church in New Jersey emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic with renewed strength and purpose, driven by a new food ministry that connected the congregation to its community in meaningful ways.