Most importantly, this framing teaches us that everyone should exercise caution when generalizing about what “conservative churches” or “liberal churches” are likely to do. Our sample of pastors may not be representative of all pastors, but claims about the political activity in churches, especially from the media, appear to be overgeneralizations. We just do not…
Recently I attended a convening of amazing people who all care about religious buildings – what they mean for the people who worship in them, what they mean for the people and organizations that share them, and what they mean in the physical communities they often anchor. Partners for Sacred Places, headquartered in Philadelphia, was…
Nobody really knows how many there are or how much all that real estate is worth, but the buildings owned by religious congregations are a formidable physical presence in virtually every American community. Elsewhere in the world, they are no less present – from grand cathedrals and temples to humble shrines and improvised shelters. People…
What happens when religion leaves the congregation? From coffee shops to living rooms, people engage with religious texts, sermons, and traditions wherever they can access them. Religion cannot be confined to a physical space. Nor are religious practices confined to those who identify as religious. Many people identify as disaffiliated from a religious tradition, ‘spiritual…
How many people attended religious services last week? That used to be a relatively simple question, but COVID-19 has turned that on its head. And the safety decisions that leaders made not only had an immediate impact on congregational attendance but are likely to affect the future. Overall Religious Attendance Declining Religious service attendance in…