Displaying 30+ Stories

Americans Flock to Megachurches, But There's a Catch

12-26-2015
4642536963001
DF120215BIRD_HD1080_0_364.523

A new study shows more people are attending so-called megachurches in America than ever before. But there's a catch: Attendance is down to once or twice a month.

"The perfect consistency of attendance is no longer the norm," Dr. Warren Bird, director of research at Leadership Network said.

Bird and Scott Thumma, professor of sociology at the Harford Institute for Religion Research, co-authored a new study examining trends within America's megachurches.

In an interview with CBN News, Bird said church attendance trends are "clocking down even in very large churches."

Like smaller congregations, big churches also struggle to keep the faithful attending regularly.

"It used to be 50 years ago that someone could wear the perfect lapel attendance pin and never miss. But now your most active elders and leaders are maybe there just two or three Sundays," Bird said.

What attracts people to megachurches? Bird said what draws people and what keeps them are different. Watch the full interview here.

Did you know?

God is everywhere—even in the news. That’s why we view every news story through the lens of faith. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1.