Average church size 2018 May 16, 2025 · The senior pastor’s salary is typically the highest, with an average range of $60,000 to $100,000 [Lifeway/GuideStone 2022 Survey], depending largely on the size and location of the church. 1 baptisms per 100 attendees. Oct 20, 2021 · Evangelical Protestant churches average 65 in their worship services, dropping more than 5% in the past five years. Jun 22, 2019 · By Kent Fillinger This is the second installment of a three-part series sharing research findings from our annual church survey. Using baptisms per 100 attendees, the age of the church displays a clearer difference in baptisms. Church size range between 100 ‐ 199 0 churches moved up, 12 churches shrank to join this class and 13 churches fell down a class. Most American churches are smaller—under 100 people. 3% o 150-399 = 29. Churches founded before 1900 average 5. Half of churches surveyed report their PPG falls between $1, 838 and $3, 529. May 16, 2024 · The formula that predicts a church’s budget based on their attendance in Chart C (above) may look intimidating, but any church can use it to estimate the financial impact of attendance growth. 01% of the total churches, and all combined serve 700,000 weekly worshipers. 10% of all churches in America average more than 350 in attendance. About 37 of regular church attendees and Evangelicals don’t give money to church. 6% AVERAGE STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH: $295 – 42. 5 years. S. is 50 people, so that means somewhere around 45,000 people every year lose their church home. Most American churches are older—existing for several decades. On average, megachurches in our survey grew 28. When asked how long since members have been baptized, the average length of time is 19. The number of Mar 20, 2008 · The proportion of churches per individuals is now one church to 1,340 people; the size of the average Sunday congregation, however, is 84. Mar 6, 2019 · Almost half (46 percent) say their giving decreased or stayed the same from 2017 to 2018. The decline in church membership mostly reflects the fact that fewer Americans than in the past now have any religious affiliation. Aug 1, 2020 · smaller churches, perceived pastoral humility, and longer church tenure (Dunaetz et al. has increased approximately tenfold (Stetzer, 2013 Voices: Does church size matter? January 31, 2018 A few years ago, The National Congregational Study posted some findings on the average church size in America. There are 177,000 “small churches” that average 60 worshipers per Sunday. In-person weekly worship service average attendance topped 4 million for the first time in three years, while in-person small group average attendance reached nearly 2. Their compensation reflects the leadership demands of overseeing the entire congregation, managing staff, preaching regularly, and setting the overall Second, every church budget reflects the size and socioeconomic status of the congregation, which predicts how much churches can afford to pay employees. The acoustics of a church plays an important part in either adding or subtracting people. Small church: Average weekend attendance 50 or fewer people. With numbers this large, the church isn’t going away anytime soon. . average church size 2020 Dec 31, 2015 · Average church size, 12/31/2015. 9677 and multiply the result by $2,962. They discovered quite a bit about church sizes and trends, but two specific stats rang out to me: Half of American churches have less than 75 people. Mar 7, 2014 · You may have heard people say that the “average” sized church in the U. 3 percent decline. Lakewood Church’s average weekly attendance (self-reported) is over 43,000, with 386 paid staff, and a budget of over $90 million a year. 6%) attend church with 25 people or less each week. org Jan 4, 2018 · While all the talk of church decline might make you want to stop looking at church statistics, it’s important to note that Christians make up 2. 5 million. 9. More than 2 in 5 churches (44 percent) only have one or fewer full-time staff members. Median church size means the midpoint at which half the churches are smaller and half the churches are larger—rather than the average, which is larger due to the influence of very large churches. average church size was 4. 55 is the average amount a nonprofit crowdfunding campaign raises. Euro-Asian Division Report Global Church Member Survey 2017-2018 Institute of Church Ministry, Andrews University; Research Center Zaoksky STATISTICS OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD* 2018 2017 Change % Change Adherents 3,233,385 3,214,998 18,387 0. “Southern Baptists are a force for good. Apr 14, 2018 · A longtime church member who is part of my small group at our church noted that with online giving, if our church offered online church, “I’d never go back in the church building again. The average giving by adults who attend US Protestant churches is about $17 a week. Large church: Average weekend attendance between 301 and 2,000 people. 4 years in the SDA schools. The story of the American church is one of small, established congregations. Jun 26, 2023 · Super-mega-churches make up 0. or Canada is about 75 people. The average donation size to a church is $205. 7% AVERAGE OTHER GIFTS: $12,398 AVERAGE OPERATING EXPENSES: $176,546 AVERAGE TOTAL INCOME: $249,919 * The number of congregations increases to 5,034 if Schedule 1 and 2 congregations are included. You also need to consider how the seats will be arranged in your church. Average online worship service participation also increased. Dec 26, 2018 · When we ignore God’s teaching, we will have our reward here on earth. Jan 19, 2024 · 7. 17% of crowdfunding donations are made on mobile devices. Sep 17, 2018 · Once you’ve decided how many square feet to leave per person, you can use the occupancy formula to calculate the comfortable church seating capacity: Church area / square feet per person = seating capacity. Published May 2018 by the Siburt Institute for Church Ministry Church Size: Average weekly attendance = 401 o <150 = 33. Close to 9 in 10 pastors (87 percent) say their church had the same or fewer number of full-time staff in 2018 as they had in 2017, including 7 percent who cut staff. 5% since 2015. Church size range between 51 ‐ 99 0 churches moved up, Church Sizes. Those that started between 1900-1949 average 7. Fact 2: In faster-growing Churches, the lead pastor’s salary is on average 4% lower and the Church budgets are 25% lower than all other churches surveyed. You look to see how many people are lined up behind it, and you see 75 people. Cathedral Statistics - The Church of England Fact 1: The average church uses 52% of the church budget on compensation. An average of 8 people donate to an individual crowdfunding campaign. The average Catholic congregation is 21/2 times larger than optimal, while the Protestant congregations Mar 25, 2015 · 50% of all churches in America average less than 100 in worship attendance. 40% of all churches in America average between 100 and 350 in attendance. 6% 2018 Ministers’ Salary Survey | Siburt Institute for Church Ministry Page 4 Overall Salary, Church Size, Experience by Ministry Type (Full-Time) Ministry Type Average Salary Average Church Size Average Total Years in Ministry Administrative/Executive $77,214 687 22 Associate $58,795 1,094 8 Campus $35,667 347 12 For instance, between 2000 and 2015, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church, and the United Church of Christ lost 40% of their members. However, there are regions such as Kenya where the church of our Lord and Savour, Jesus Christ has been doing well (Nkonge A few years ago, The National Congregational Study posted some findings on the average church size in America. Medium church: Average weekend attendance between 51 and 300 people. Take into Account Your Church Seating Layout. Mar 12, 2025 · Congregations founded since 1950 average 10. It gathers information about worship, programs, staffing, community activities, demographics, and many other characteristics of American congregations. In total, many churches are spending an average of 69% on staff and facilities. 4 percent per year. USA Churches classifies churches in our directory by size–mega churches, large churches, medium churches, and small churches–and churches come in all sizes. , 2018). Jan 22, 2018 · The median church size is 75 people. Tenure. Mainline Protestant congregations have the smallest churches and have felt the largest percentage decline. Jeff has told me stories of churches in the Louisville area that are near death, with less than a dozen members, but who refuse to join with another church. AVERAGE CHRISTMAS FUND: $530 – 50. 3, and the ones that began before 1900 average 7. Oct 28, 2023 · A survey by the Unstuck Group reports that 52% of church budgets go to staffing expenditures like salaries, benefits, and payroll taxes. Who is right? It all depends how you define “average”. 2% 5 FOR 5 CHURCHES: 32. That is right, half the churches in the United States have less than 75 people. adults were members of a church in 1998-2000, compared with 52% in 2016-2018. 3% May 7, 2024 · Total baptisms climbed to more than 226,000. Jan 29, 2018 · U. Mega church: Average weekend attendance more than 2,000 people. Since 1998 there has been an overall decline in regular church attendance of 15%, from 3,714,700 to 3,166,200. $568 is the average amount individuals raise through crowdfunding. The average or “mean” church at 184 is 2. The Takeaway The average church in America is small. 2 total baptisms. As we discussed in a previous article , the relationship between resources and people follows a clear path as churches increase in size. ” Author and former dot-com executive Seth Godin said, “Now that more and more is ordered online, or experienced online, the only trips we take are Within the ESD, the average age of the survey participants is 48. Mar 6, 2019 · Around 1 in 10 churches (11%) average 250 or more for their worship services. average weekly attendance fell to just under 2. Vista: Scanning the landscape of local churches in Australia This magazine contains findings from the 2016 National Church Life Survey, as well as data about the Australian population from the 2016 Government Census and the 2016 Australian Community Survey by NCLS Research. 80. Jan 3, 2024 · Live streaming your church services can increase tithing by as much as 70%. $9,237. Church size range between 200 ‐ 349 5 churches moved up and 12 churches moved down a class. 7 years. 6% Baptisms, Spirit** 89,390 86,528 2,862 3. All five U. 2019-2021 Average Attendance by Province and Diocese (pdf) View PDF: 2011-2020 Average Sunday Attendance by Province and Diocese (pdf) View PDF: 2009-2019 Average Sunday Attendance by Province and Diocese (pdf) View PDF: 2008-2018 Average Sunday Attendance by Province and Diocese (pdf) View PDF: 2007-2017 Average Sunday Attendance by Province Sep 17, 2018 · The average church size in the U. On average, churches spend an additional 17% on buildings and facility expenses. The average donation size to a crowdfunding campaign is $66. This month, we turn our attention to 88 large churches (average weekly worship attendance of 500 to 999 during 2018) and 86 medium churches (average attendance of 250 to 499). Some churches are growing their regular attendance counts by 50% to 195% or more in some cases by live streaming their services. Figure 3: Percentage Church Growth by Average Attendance in 2018 NOTES: • Growing: hurches with in person average attendance of 500+ (26%) are the most likely to have Jul 7, 2020 · Seventy is the median church size in the SBC. Medium church: Apr 18, 2019 · On average, 69% of U. The average church size of survey participants is less than 50 people in attendance each week. congregations, weighted to reflect the proportion of religious communities by region, size, and Faith Communities Today • 2020 Overview 4 2 Faith Communities Today 2020 findings represent a picture that is quite similar to the recognized standard portrait done by the National Congregations Study 2018-19. 36 (between 201-500 people and 501-1000 people). Another positive—all six church size categories grew from 2019 to 2022. say they were directly or substantially involved in opening a new church in 2018, including 7 percent who were a The NCS is based on in-depth interviews with congregational leaders in 1998, 2006-2007, 2012, and 2018-2019. ” That’s way above the typical church size of under 65! Dec 11, 2024 · In 2023, the average weekly church attendance at Church of England services was 693,000. The average church size of survey participants is approximately 50 people in attendance each week, but it is notable that over one in three respondents (36. Ninety percent of American churches have less than 350 people! May 1, 2023 · A higher percentage of churches in each size category grew from 2021 to 2022 than from 2018 to 2019 (the last “normal” year)—see Chart 1. Statisticians use three terms when describing populations. According to the 2023 Faith Communities Today national survey, the average church in the US has a median of 60 regular worship participants. 6 years since baptism. This ranges from 46% to 60% on the high end from Leadership Network’s 2018 compensation survey. Less than 5 report PPG above $5, 500 or below. jurisdictions reported decreases in both membership and worship attendance. But here’s the kicker. Jun 24, 2024 · So, The Unstuck Group surveyed 355 churches (a solid sample size) that ranged “from under 100 to over 10,000” (a solid range of sizes). The sanctuary of a church is a battlefield where the hearts, minds, and souls of people can be added or subtracted people from the Kingdom of God. You also may have heard someone say that the “average” sized church in North America is about 185 people. They represent 59% of all churches and Menu. 0. To estimate average budget based on size, raise your active average attendance to the power of 0. 3 percent from 2019 to 2022, an average of 9. Ninety percent of American churches have less than 350 people! Jun 23, 2014 · The “average” church that you are standing in front of is called the “median” church. Church size does not refer to the physical size of the church building, or the number of seats in the church building, or even the number of people who are members of the church. On average, 50 people gather each week at a mainline church, a drop of 12. 2019;Burdick,2018;Butcher, 2015). Between 2009 and 2019 the average weekly church attendance for the Church of England fell by approximately We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. However, there are bright spots in the data. First, a note about the term median: The median is a midpoint, not the See full list on paoc. 45 times the size of the average median church Feb 21, 2020 · Church Size, Pastoral Humility, and Member Characteristics as Predictors of Church Commitment average attendance over 2000) in the U. 66 million — representing a 3. length of time since members have been baptized is 26. 3 billion people around the world. The TED survey participants spent an average of 6. Weekly Worship Average Attendance 2018: hurches were divided into categories based on their in person average worship attendance: 0-49, 50-99, 100-249, 250-499, 500+. Table 2 lists the average actual size and the average optimal size for each denomination. In a revealing study of the Evangelical Free Church of America from 2008 to 2018, an increase in the number of clergy correlated to a decrease in the number of church members, a decrease in average church size, yet an increase (albeit nominal) in the number of churches. Curiously, more staffing does not necessarily ensure church growth. Average Church Size. LifeWay’s latest Compensation Study, 2018 , showed churches in the 50-100 attendance range as paying their senior pastor a package (Salary + Housing Allowance + Fair Rental Value of Church-owned Housing + Utilities on Church-owned Housing + Social Security Equivalent + Retirement Benefits Paid by Jan 31, 2018 · A few years ago, The National Congregational Study posted some findings on the average church size in America. The median church age is 73 years. In contrast, Protestant Evangelical churches and denominations saw a slight increase in church memberships during the first decade of the 21st century. “The average in-person attendance of churches that participated was 870 people. xrfsf yjwx kffqo lxu hsdoqg nfcjut hjf qdua lqvza lpcbi