Author: Administrador

By Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As federal, state and local governments weigh relaxing stay-at-home guidelines, most churches continued to avoid gathering physically throughout April. Nine in 10 Protestant pastors say their congregations did not meet for an in-person worship service last month, according to a new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research. A previous study … Continue reading “Few Protestant Churches Met in Person for Worship Services in April”

By Aaron Earls When pastors begin to welcome back their congregations to in-person services, they may want to consider offering them a shorter sermon. A study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found Protestant pastors’ estimates of their sermon lengths are shorter than the estimates of their congregations. Additionally, more than a quarter of churchgoers say their … Continue reading “Pastors and Churchgoers Differ on Sermon Length Estimates”

By Aaron Earls In recent months and years, several high-profile Christian pastors and musicians announced they no longer identify as Christian or believe in core doctrines of the faith. These public pronouncements are met with a mix of emotions from churchgoers, according to a new survey. Nashville-based Lifeway Research asked more than 1,000 Protestant churchgoers … Continue reading “Churchgoers Express Hope, Sadness Over Leaders Who Leave the Faith”

By Aaron Earls Churches are gathering again, but services and programs remain drastically different from the beginning of the year. At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to previous surveys from Nashville-based Lifeway Research, Protestant churches across America stopped gathering in-person in a matter of weeks. The latest Lifeway Research survey of Protestant pastors … Continue reading “Most Churches Cautiously Holding Services Again”

By Aaron Earls Most churchgoers say they can address doubts others have about the Bible, but half admit they have problems understanding Scripture on their own. Despite repeatedly affirming confidence in their own abilities to explain and understand the Bible, a recent Lifeway Research study in partnership with Explore the Bible curriculum found 57% of … Continue reading “Churchgoers Express Confidence and Confusion Over the Bible”

By Aaron Earls When a pastor commits adultery, most of their fellow pastors believe they should withdraw from public ministry for at least some time. A new survey of U.S. Protestant pastors by Nashville-based Lifeway Research finds 2% of pastors believe a fellow pastor who has an affair does not need to take any time … Continue reading “Pastors Split Over Ministry Return Time Frame for Pastors Who Commit Adultery”

By Aaron Earls More than half of Americans say religious beliefs are a matter of personal opinion, not objective facts. And that’s made clear by examining the varying, and sometimes contradictory, theological doctrines they hold. The biennial State of Theology study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research explores the religious and cultural beliefs of U.S. adults. For … Continue reading “Americans Hold Complex, Conflicting Religious Beliefs, According to Latest State of Theology Study”

By Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Evangelicals seem ready to cast their ballots in the 2020 election. Nine in 10 evangelicals by belief are registered to vote, and few are undecided about their presidential choice. A new survey from Nashville-based Lifeway Research conducted Sept. 9-23 finds President Donald Trump with a sizeable lead over Democratic … Continue reading “Most Evangelicals Choose Trump Over Biden, But Clear Divides Exist”

By Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Almost all Protestant pastors plan to participate in the 2020 election, but around a quarter still haven’t decided who will get their presidential vote. In the latest election survey, Nashville-based Lifeway Research found 98% of Protestant pastors in the U.S. say they plan to vote in the presidential election. … Continue reading “Half of U.S. Protestant Pastors Back Trump”

By Aaron Earls NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The vast majority of U.S. Protestant churches say they are holding in-person services, but churchgoers have yet to attend in the numbers they did before the coronavirus pandemic struck. According to the latest survey from Nashville-based Lifeway Research, 87% of Protestant pastors in the U.S. say their church met … Continue reading “Few Churches Back to Pre-COVID Attendance Levels”