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Americans Judge the Good Book More Positively, But Still Often by Its Cover

In the past few years, Americans have grown generally more positive toward the Bible, but that doesn’t mean they’re reading it more. According to a Lifeway Research study, U.S. adults increasingly view the Bible as a book worth reading... Continue Reading »

Pastors Remain Committed to the Pulpit

Pastors face unique challenges in their role and often feel overwhelmed, but few decide to step away from the pulpit and pursue another career. Only around 1 in 100 pastors leave the ministry each year, according to a Lifeway... Continue Reading »

Southern Baptists’ Membership Decline Continues Amid Other Areas of Growth

In 2024, the Southern Baptist Convention baptized more new members than in any of the previous seven years but still saw an 18th consecutive year of overall membership decline. The 12,722,266 members of Southern Baptist congregations mark a 2... Continue Reading »

Few Protestant Pastors Believe Their Churches Will Close Soon

Most pastors believe their churches will be around for at least another decade, but that’s not the reality for some. According to a Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant pastors, 94 percent believe their churches will still exist in... Continue Reading »

Churches Aim to Welcome Guests by Different Methods

Every church aims to welcome guests in some way. Those efforts may just look different in different churches and may have changed over the last decade. According to a Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant pastors, more than 99... Continue Reading »

Complicated Picture of Southern Baptist Churches Emerges from Statistical Analysis

The average Southern Baptist church calls the South home, but the only region of the country where those congregations are growing is the Northeast. Churches are baptizing more people, but most churches remain small and fewer attendees are involved... Continue Reading »

Most Americans Skip Lent

Lent may be on the calendar, but it’s not on the radar of most Americans. A traditional 40-day window of fasting before Easter, Lent is observed by around a quarter of U.S. adults, according to a Lifeway Research study.... Continue Reading »

COVID’s Impact on Church Attendance Less Than Some Anticipated

Throughout 2020 and into 2021, predictions emerged about the COVID-19 pandemic’s long-term effects on churches. Those included that a hybrid experience would become the norm, an abundance of church closures was on the horizon and in-person numbers may never... Continue Reading »

Protestant Pastors Bring Attention to Global Christian Persecution

As pastors speak and pray with their congregations, they say they’re also keeping persecuted Christians around the world in mind. More than 9 in 10 U.S. Protestant pastors (93 percent) say their church has engaged in at least one... Continue Reading »

10 Trends for Ministry in 2025

Theological truths remain unchanged regardless of the date on the calendar, as do many ministry realities. The context surrounding Christians and churches, however, is constantly changing. As pastors and church leaders think about ministering to their congregations and communities... Continue Reading »

Less Than Half of Americans Attend Church at Christmas

As Americans make their Christmas plans, slightly less than half say they usually attend a church service during the holiday season. A Lifeway Research study finds U.S. adults are split on whether they’ll be at church sometime this Christmas... Continue Reading »

Americans Grow More Liberal on Moral Issues, More Concerned About Moral Values

Americans are growing increasingly progressive in several areas of morality while also growing increasingly concerned about the current state of moral values and pessimistic about the future. According to the latest Gallup survey on moral issues, U.S. adults are... Continue Reading »