Behind the post-pandemic absenteeism there must be some of these explanations or a combination of them. But common sense suggests that these reasons are not sufficient to explain what happened.
In times of crisis, people turn to churches with greater dedication. When earthquakes have occurred in our country, people have packed the churches. Fear, loss, and the proximity of death are elements that make people more likely to strengthen their faith. Given this background and in the face of a catastrophe of large proportions such as the Covid-19 pandemic, it could be expected that a greater number of people would go to churches. But to everyone’s surprise, it was the opposite. Not only did people not approach the churches, but those who were already there left them significantly.
A study conducted in the United States by Barna Group indicated that 33% of practicing Christians had completely left the church after the pandemic. The Associated Press has documented many church buildings in the United States that have been permanently closed due to the pandemic. According to the Gallup company, the number of church members in the United States fell below 50% for the first time in 2020, a phenomenon that has not occurred since 1940 when Gallup began compiling data.
But the phenomenon was not only American and evangelical but global and interdenominational. For example, Protestant churches in the United Kingdom report a similar situation. According to a study by Bev Botting, attendance in 1,139 Church of England parishes fell by 22%. According to Gallup, attendance at Protestant churches in the United States fell to 40% while in Catholic churches it fell to 30%. The phenomenon has been worldwide and has also reached other cults such as Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism. What occurred was a break in human spirituality.
In Latin America there are no studies of this type at hand, but observation indicates that something very similar has occurred in our countries. Summarizing the facts, it is known that all types of churches lost, on average, between 30% and 50% of their memberships. The greater the membership, the greater the dropout. The megachurches presented a percentage of up to 50% while the less numerous ones were around 30%. Another piece of information revealed by an investigation published by Christianity Today indicates that urban churches were more affected than rural ones.
There is plenty of research and there is also plenty of data. But the fundamental issue is why. Why did people stay away from churches during the pandemic? All kinds of explanations have been tried, all of them very logical. For example, the fear that people have of possible infections, especially those who belong to risk groups. Virtual alternatives that allow people to continue participating in religious activities without having to go to churches. The change in routines that the pandemic imposed on ways of working, teaching and other interruptions that led to the reduction of regular attendance at churches. The economic impact of the pandemic that affected many families and influenced the priority given to church attendance. The prolonged stress and anxiety of the pandemic overwhelmed people and deprived them of motivation for additional activities, such as going to church. The pandemic produced a reevaluation of spiritual focus, with some adopting other forms of spirituality outside the traditional church structure.
Behind the post-pandemic absenteeism there must be some of these explanations or a combination of them. But common sense suggests that these reasons are not sufficient to explain what happened. Some more analytical thinkers have seen in absenteeism an acceleration of the process of secularization of societies that has been going on for several decades. They consider that the pandemic only catalyzed a trend that was already well defined. If this were so, the new conditions would be posing a challenge to the churches in relation to their social relevance. It may be that in each region there are unique dynamics that had a greater impact. In any case, the exercise of introspection that churches must do to continue being relevant to modern man is unavoidable.
General Pastor of the Elim Christian Mission.
