Survey Tracks Trends in American Congregations

March 14, 2001

Source: The Washington Post

On March 14, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "nearly two-thirds of U.S. congregations maintain strong ties to their religious denominations, debunking the widely held belief that affiliation with major religious groups has declined, according to the largest study ever of congregational behavior, which was released yesterday...The interfaith survey, 'Faith Communities in the United States Today,' involved 14,301 congregations in 41 denominations or faith groups...The survey confirms that the growth of less hierarchical, more charismatic congregations and smaller U.S. faiths." The findings are posted at http://hirr.hartsem.edu .