ARIZINA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY/ Tracy F. Munsil, Ph.D.–
We continue to witness the devastating effects of COVID-19 combined with the societal responses—including government lockdowns, violations of constitutional rights, and church shutdowns—on the faith of Americans.
A new report from the groundbreaking study of faith in post-pandemic America from Dr. George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University identifies three significant areas of spiritual decline since COVID—church attendance, church affiliation, and core beliefs.
For example, the research found that church attendance, a popular indicator of faith in America, dropped significantly. At the onset of the pandemic, 39% of adults attended a Christian church service at least once a week. The new AWVI 2023 numbers indicate a notable decline in such attendance, dipping to 33%.
In addition, according to the post-pandemic research, a majority of Americans—56%—now attend church infrequently or not at all. Prior to the pandemic, that number was only 41%. Weekly church attendance dropped overall during the pandemic, with the youngest generations—Millennials and Gen Xers—being least likely to attend church after the pandemic.
But those aren’t the only indicators of the effects of the pandemic on faith in America. According to the report:
- The number of Americans who self-identify as Christians continued to fall—from 77% in 2017 to a new post-pandemic low of 68%. Continue reading…
