Nearly all U.S. Protestant pastors (99%) encourage their congregants to read the Bible independently, using at least one of seven different methods, according to a report from the Baptist Press.
Conducted by Lifeway Research from August 8 to September 3, 2024, the phone survey sampled 1,003 Protestant pastors selected from a stratified random list of all Protestant churches in the country.
The study found that the most common methods pastors use to promote individual Bible reading include providing free Bibles to those in need (93%) and reminding their congregants during sermons (92%). In addition, three in four pastors (73%) indicate that they incorporate Bible readings during worship services beyond the passages covered in sermons.
The research highlights that 59% of pastors provide printed Bible reading plans while 56% use social media to send reminders. Nearly half (49%) utilize email to encourage their congregants to engage with Scripture throughout the week, and around 37% offer a digital or online Bible reading plan.
The study points out that pastors today are more inclined than in 2016 to utilize certain methods to encourage Bible reading among their churchgoers.
Notably, there has been a 7 percentage point increase in offering free Bibles (from 86% to 93%) and a 6 percentage point increase in sermon reminders (from 86% to 92%). However, the provision of printed Bible reading plans has decreased by 5 percentage points, down to 59% from 64%, while other methods of encouragement have remained statistically stable since eight years ago.
The size of the church often influences the likelihood of pastors employing specific encouragement techniques.
Pastors from larger Protestant congregations, those with 250 or more attendees, are less inclined to have Bible readings during worship services aside from the sermon passages (58%). Interestingly, they are more likely to send email reminders (66%) and offer a digital or online Bible reading plan (65%).
Larger churches, particularly those with 250 or more attendees (69%) and those with 100 to 249 attendees (67%), are more likely to provide printed Bible reading plans compared to smaller congregations with 50 to 99 attendees (56%) and those with fewer than 50 attendees (53%). Those in the smallest churches are also less likely to utilize social media reminders (44%) and email reminders (40%).
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, noted, “In an increasingly secular culture, pastors are not assuming people have a Bible.” He added that more churches are ready to give free Bibles to individuals who need them to encourage further reading about the message the church conveys.
