While most Protestant churches have resumed in-person services since the pandemic began, congregants have been slow to return.
According to a survey from Lifeway Research, conducted Sept. 1-29, about 98 percent of Protestant churches have reopened for in-person services.
In-person church attendance, however, was still a long way from what it was pre-pandemic. Compared to figures from January 2020, 13 percent of churches reported drawing less than 50 percent of their pre-COVID attendance as of August.
An additional 35 percent reported having 50-70 percent of their pre-COVID attendance, and another 30 percent reported attendance levels of 70-90 percent.
About one in eight churches reported attendance levels between 90 and 100 percent, and nine percent said that in August, their attendance levels exceeded their pre-pandemic levels.
The Lifeway Research survey also reported a disparity among white and Black churches, as black pastors were 12.5 times more likely than white pastors to report that their attendance levels are less than 30 percent of what it was pre-pandemic.
Meanwhile, 73 percent of pastors said their in-person attendance levels in August were less than 100 people. Of those who reported having fewer than 100 attendees, 40 percent said fewer than 50 people were attending church each weekend. Moreover, less than six percent of pastors noted that 250 or more people were attending in-person church services.