Nearly half of American churchgoers attend more than one congregation, a trend that has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hartford Institute for Religion Research published a June report titled “Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations,” which details responses from 24,165 churchgoers across the United States representing 80 denominations. Data collection took place from September 2024 through January 2025.
The report highlights that in the wake of the pandemic, a 46% of respondents say they attend at least more than one congregation on a regular basis and 54% stated that they only attend one congregation.
When asked if they regularly participate in other congregations, 22% said they physically attend more than one congregation, while an additional 10% reported attending a congregation other than their home church virtually or through television broadcasts. The remaining 14% attend at least one other place of worship both virtually and in person.
The report notes, “About one in five people who regularly participate elsewhere are doing so with a congregation of a different denomination or faith tradition.”
It also states, “Those who have ‘multiple church homes are less committed to their congregation on all the metrics related to congregational commitment,” but clarifies that “the action of regularly attending services at multiple congregations, whether in person or virtually, does not have the same detrimental effect on home church commitment.
Participating in other services does not negatively impact how often one attends their primary congregation, donates a percentage of their income, or how frequently they volunteer,” the report explained.
The researchers further suggest that “attendance at other congregational services and activities appears to be more of an added spiritual/religious practice than a detraction or reason to split their time, attention, and resources.” Because there is no earlier nationally representative data to compare, they conclude that it is “unclear whether this phenomenon has increased since the pandemic.”
However, previous research on attenders in US megachurches (those with 2,000 or more weekly attendants) found that “12% of respondents claimed multiple church homes.”
The survey also asked whether respondents considered their current congregation their “home church,” and 90% answered affirmatively. Four percent said no, while 7% reported having “other home congregations.”
The study explores the reasons why participants who attend online church services do so. Forty-six percent cited “convenience,” while 31% pointed to illness, being homebound, or serving as a caregiver.
