The most recent Faith Communities Today (FACT) study, as reported by Baptist Press, revealed that 7 in 10 U.S. congregations have 100 or fewer weekly service attendees, with the average U.S. congregation having 65 people gather each week.
The National Congregations Study (NCS) also found that the median congregation in the U.S. consists of 70 regular participants, including adults and children, and has an annual budget of $100,000. Meanwhile, the NCS found that the average churchgoer attends a congregation with 360 regular attendees and a $450,000 budget.
The latest National Survey of Religious Leaders (NSRL) report notes, ““In a nutshell, the largest 9 percent of congregations contain about half of all churchgoers.”” This means that much of the financial resources and staff are concentrated in those larger churches.
The report also revealed that the average clergy person leads a congregation with only about 50 regular participating adults, while the clergy serving the average churchgoer leads a congregation with around 245 regular attendees.
A recent Lifeway Research study suggests that Congregations with more than 250 attendees (62%) and those with 100 to 250 attendees (59%) are more likely to be growing compared to churches with 50 to 99 attendees (45%) and those with fewer than 50 (23%).
According to the NCS, about 70 percent of full-time ministerial staff and 80 percent of part-time ministerial staff work in congregations with fewer than 360 people. Thus, only about a quarter of clergy serve in the largest 9 percent of churches that account for about half of all churchgoers.
According to Baptist Press, smaller congregations have unique advantages such as high member commitment, with higher weekly worship attendance, more per capita giving, increased volunteering, and a greater percentage of contributions toward missions and charity.
However, they often face challenges like a less secure financial future, a higher percentage of elderly attendees, and limited growth potential.
