HIRR Report Shows First Rise in U.S. Congregation Attendance in 25 Years, Uneven Recovery

The Hartford Institute for Religion Research, in collaboration with Faith Communities Today, released a new report titled "Signs of Rebound Amid Uneven Recovery: The Changing Congregational Landscape." The report forms part of the institute's Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations project.  

More than five years after COVID-19 disrupted nearly every faith community in the United States, a new national study offers the most comprehensive look yet at where congregations stand today.

Drawing on responses from 7,453 congregations across 79 denominations and faith traditions — and set against more than two decades of baseline data from the Faith Communities Today (FACT) research collaborative — “Signs of Rebound Amid Uneven Recovery: The Changing Congregational Landscape” finds that American congregational life has entered a new phase marked by resilience, adaptation, and cautious hope.

Key findings include:

• Median in-person worship attendance has risen to 70 — surpassing pre-pandemic levels and marking the first positive gain in 25 years of tracking
• Median congregational income reached $205,000 in 2025, well above inflation-adjusted expectations
• Volunteer participation has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, with 40% of congregants now volunteering regularly
• 58% of congregational leaders say their congregation is stronger now than before the pandemic
• Clergy well-being has improved across physical, mental, spiritual, relational, and financial dimensions

Yet the report also offers a measured caution: these gains are uneven. Mainline Protestant churches have experienced steep attendance declines, small congregations continue to struggle, and much of the observed growth reflects internal reshuffling rather than an expansion of religious participation overall.

This is not a story of revival — it is a story of recalibration.

The study was conducted between September and December 2025 and is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. It is led by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace.