The Episcopal Church’s newly released 2022 Parochial Report indicates signs of rebounding attendance after the COVID-19 pandemic, the impacts of which continue to present significant challenges for parishes. The report also shows that despite an overall trend in declining church membership, collective congregational giving remains steady.
New to the report this year is information on churches founded since 2000, highlighting church-planting efforts for nearly a quarter-century.
Data from the Parochial Report—the oldest, most continuous gathering of data by The Episcopal Church—is published on the General Convention website, along with a summary and analysis.
While average Sunday attendance (ASA) “declined dramatically” during the pandemic in 2020-2021, 2022 saw a 19 percent increase over 2021, from 292,851 to 372,952.
“While not back to the pre-pandemic levels, there are signs of recovering some of the lost Sunday attendance,” notes an analysis of the data prepared by Charissa Mikoski, a post-doctoral fellow at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. The report also notes that ASA does not include virtual attendees of Sunday services.
Total income and expenses for The Episcopal Church have remained fairly constant since 2016. A surprise finding in last year’s 2021 Parochial Report was that funds collected through offerings and pledges (“plate and pledge”) had increased by 3 percent, despite pandemic limitations. In 2022, those funds saw a very slight increase over the previous year.
Narrative questions were once again included in the data collection during 2022. Respondents were invited to share opportunities and challenges faced by congregations; changes they desire; and examples of how faith communities worked to name, address, and dismantle racial injustice.
More than 2,500 respondents mentioned that ongoing impacts from the pandemic presented their most pressing challenge, affecting areas ranging from finances to parish engagement and growth, to availability and hiring processes for clergy, staff, and leadership.
Major themes that emerged included a desire to return more fully to worship and ministry; a vision for how to incorporate newcomers and sustain growth; a plan to support generational growth in parishioners; and an uncertainty about how to plan for financial longevity. Read a summary report prepared by Taylor Hartson of the University of Notre Dame.
“While there are indeed downward trends or challenges evident in our data, the data also shows much cause for hope,” said the Rev. Molly James, deputy executive officer of the General Convention. “We still have tremendous human, material, and financial resources. People are seeking what our congregations offer. We have communities whose primary characteristics are hospitality and love, who seek to offer a place that helps people make meaning in their lives. For all these reasons we can be hopeful about our future.”
In addition to historical congregational data, Episcopalians can view provincial and diocesan trends in these reports on the General Convention website:
- U.S.-based Fast Facts and Fast Fact Trends (2022)
- Average Attendance by Province and Diocese (2013-2022)
- Baptized Members by Province and Diocese (2013-2022)
- Statistical Totals for The Episcopal Church by Diocese (2021-2022)
- U.S.A. Pledge and Plate Income (2018-2022)
- Average Pledge by Province and Dioceses (2018-2022)
- Financial and Average Sunday Attendance Totals by Diocese (2022)
Information about individual congregations and neighborhood demographics is available through an interactive “Explore Your Neighborhood” tool.
The Parochial Report, in accordance with Canon I.6, is developed by the House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church, authorized by the Executive Council, and overseen by Executive Officer of the General Convention Michael Barlowe. The Parochial Report is part of the General Convention Office’s data collection and analysis work and is directed by Deputy Executive Officer Molly James, assisted by Data Specialist Iris DiLeonardo.
