Study finds rising church attendance but declining new conversions

A recent study by Lifeway Research indicates that while Protestant church attendance in the United States has seen a general increase since 2023, the number of new commitments to Christ has decreased over the last decade. Surveying over 1,000 pastors, the report found that 54% of congregations experienced attendance growth of at least 4%, with the average congregation size rising from 176 in 2023 to 183 in 2025. This trend aligns with broader findings from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, which also noted a post-pandemic recovery in median in-person worship attendance.

Despite these attendance gains, the data reveals a decline in evangelistic outcomes. The number of new commitments per 100 attendees dropped from 16 in 2016 to 11 in 2025. Furthermore, the percentage of churches reporting that more than 10% of their newcomers were previously unchurched fell from 63% to 44% during the same period. Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, suggested that these findings should encourage congregations to prioritize prayer for their communities and increase efforts to equip members for sharing the Gospel.