Most U.S. congregations saw increases in either participation or giving, new research from Lake Institute on Faith & Giving reveals
More U.S. congregations saw increases in participation and giving than experienced declines, a new study from Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI finds. Although fewer Americans are claiming a religious affiliation and the percentage of individuals who are members of a congregation is declining, these findings only tell part of the story. The National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices focuses on congregations rather than individuals and reveals that while some congregations are declining in size and revenue, many continue to grow. The (NSCEP) is the largest and most comprehensive, nationally representative study of U.S. congregations’ finances in more than a generation. It reveals a detailed picture of the nation’s more than 300,000 congregations and provides new insight into how congregations receive, manage and spend money. The study was made possible by a $1.67 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
