Less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church — half of what the pollsters report.

[SecularMotion]

While Gallup polls and other statisticians have turned in the same percentage — about 40% of the population — of average weekend church attendees for the past 70 years, a different sort of research paints quite a disparate picture of how many Americans attend a local church on any given Sunday.

http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/139575-7-startling-facts-an-up-close-look-at-church-attendance-in-america.html

[gopiscrap]

1. I attend church when I get paid to speak or sing

[PoliticAverse]

2. The problem with polls on this issue is that they are very much subject to 'social desirably bias',

that is the tendency for people being polled to fudge their answers in the direction that
makes them look better.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social-desirability_bias

[jaysunb]

3. Weddings and funerals are my limit. n/t

[Link Speed]

4. I only know one person who goes to church

Just one.

I think he does it so he can list it on that God-Knows-Your-Perfect-Match hookup site.

[cbayer]

5. While I don't doubt that people over-report, there are some problems with this survey.

The survey concludes that about 20% of the entire christian identifying population is in a church on any given Sunday. That's not really surprising.

It also asked a different questions.

Gallup asks about "regular" church attendance. This survey looked at Sunday attendance. Gallup also asks about attendance over the past week, which could include formal services or other informal services that occur on days other than Sundays.

In support of this study, though, they looked at actual attendance records, which is clearly going to be more accurate than self-reporting.

I don't see that it has been published. I can't even find a date on the article.

That being said, there is no question that church attendance is in significant decline in most areas. The ones that are growing appear to the the non-denominational churches like UU and some of the megachurches. I suspect this is because they are more inclusive, have more to offer and have adapted to the needs and wants of a younger population.

It will be interesting to watch this.

The article has some other interesting information as well, but some of the comments are just ugly.

[intaglio]

9. Not only that but there is a second study

The first is Olson's the second is the 2005 Hadaway and Marler study that puts real attendance at 52 million not the 132 million (15.8%) expected from Gallup's estimates. The only figure that contradicts that is the Barna Group estimates which goes in at 47% but suffers from the same weakness as the Gallup - asking people a question to which they give a socially acceptable response.

[cbayer]

10. It's hard to know and probably varies a great deal depending on the congregation.

And in the end, I don't think it matters much. Going to services is only one aspect of a set of things that a believer might or might not do.

But, again, I would expect some over-reporting when it comes to things like this.

Imagine comparing the truth to survey answers to a question like "Have you ever cheated on your wife?", lol.

[Iggo]

6. I attend church when a family member dies.

[No Vested Interest]

7. Was there any accounting for bad weather or other circumstances, other then

sickness?
Many would choose to not drive in snow, for instance, or to even walk in snow. Certainly, older persons would consider those circumstances good reason to not attend on a given date.

[trotsky]

8. Upwards of 75% of Americans claim to be Christians.

Does it seem reasonable that more than 2/3rds of them can't get to church because of snow?

[rug]

11. Where's your cite for that factotum?

[Fumesucker]

12. Jesus Christ! I can't imagine how many churches there would be around here if they all went

I ran into an epic traffic jam on Saturday afternoon when the Jehovahs Witnesses got out of their uber posh assembly hall, never seen so many fancy cars in all my born days.

Reminded me of the old joke about the difference between a Mercedes and a porcupine.

[cbayer]

13. You are NOT going to just leave that there hanging, are you??

[Fumesucker]

14. The armadillo..

Has the pricks on the outside.


I thought everyone had heard that one.

[cbayer]

15. Funny. I've never heard it, but I'm sure to use it.