(NEW YORK) — Since the start of the pandemic, in-person church attendance dropped a staggering 45% nationwide, according to an ABC analysis of churches across more than 3,000 U.S. counties from cellular phone data provided by Safegraph. For the past two years, many congregations have […]
Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision/Getty Images(NEW YORK) Since the start of the pandemic, in-person church attendance dropped a staggering 45% nationwide, according to an ABC analysis of churches across more than 3,000 U.S. counties from cellular phone data provided by Safegraph. For the past two years, many congregations have turned to virtual services to stay connected. "The phenomenon of 'pancake church' thrived during the pandemic eat pancakes and watch church on TV," said Dr. Brent Taylor, senior pastor at First Baptist Church at The Fields in Carrollton, Texas. But church leaders suggest that for most, all-virtual services are not sustainable in the long term, because the current situation is draining churches financially and dampening the experience for many. Church leaders tell ABC News people are more likely to donate when at in-person services. Also, the morale of the community is negatively impacted without the human interaction that comes with people physic
Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision/Getty Images(NEW YORK) Since the start of the pandemic, in-person church attendance dropped a staggering 45% nationwide, according to an ABC analysis of churches across more than 3,000 U.S. counties from cellular phone data provided by Safegraph. For the past two years, many congregations have turned to virtual services to stay connected. "The phenomenon of 'pancake church' thrived during the pandemic eat pancakes and watch church on TV," said Dr. Brent Taylor, senior pastor at First Baptist Church at The Fields in Carrollton, Texas. But church leaders suggest that for most, all-virtual services are not sustainable in the long term, because the current situation is draining churches financially and dampening the experience for many. Church leaders tell ABC News people are more likely to donate when at in-person services. Also, the morale of the community is negatively impacted without the human interaction that comes with people physic