Inflation in America: Churches Report Decrease in Giving

From the grocery checkout line to the gas pump and now the church pew, Americans are closely watching what they spend and it's putting some churches in a bind. 

"Churches are in some instances struggling," Robert Blair with Ministry Brands told CBN News. "They're not keeping up with inflation. Donations are down. In some instances, attendance is down."

Ministry Brands' latest study shows charitable giving in 2023 failed to keep up with inflation, with 55 percent of churches seeing a decrease in giving. This hit smallest churches the hardest, with only 36 percent reporting an increase. On top of that, cash and check donations dropped for 33 percent of all churches included in the study. 

But there are some things churches can do. Blair says it starts with leaders communicating well. 

"One of the most important things is the conversation that the pastor or the leader of the church has with the congregation," he explained. "Talking about giving, why it's important, and candidly, what it's for. What's the money going to?"

He says being transparent with congregants about where their money is going can lead them to give more money and more often. 

Another plus can come from offering a variety of ways to give, like going digital. 

"I have a 21-year-old son. He's never going to write a check. My mom only writes checks," Blair said. "So, as leaders in the church, as leaders of trying to grow healthy churches, we need to be able to accommodate all congregants."

Pastor Solomon Adair leads Inspired to Live Church in Arlington, Texas. He says going digital has been a game changer for the growth of his ministry. 

"I can tell you that digital giving has been a catalyst to our ability to increase our giving across the board," Adair told CBN News. 

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In fact, throughout Covid and in the midst of high inflation, he says church giving has actually gone up at Inspired to Live. 

"That's due to our heavy evangelism focus," he explained. "We're always inviting somebody to church, sharing the Gospel. It's part of the culture."

And that plays into their goal of "asking more people to help do a lot, by everybody doing a little." 

Inspired to Live is now in the process of buying and renovating its own building. 

"We see him as a leader in the way he works with his congregation," said Blair. "Talking about donations and talking about digital."

Blair points to Adair's approach as a model to follow: communicate well, offer many ways to give, and be bold. 

"The Bible says we have not because we ask not, and one way to ask is to make it easier for the ask," said Adair.