With churches largely mapping out their local mission around what they identify to be an "unchurched" population, a research firm set out to paint a clearer picture of who unchurched Americans really are.
“There’s a whole industry seeking to help clergy reach the unchurched, with seminars, books, videos, training centers, and consultants,” Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, noted. “However, many people don’t really have a basic notion even of just what it means to be ‘unchurched’. There’s often an assumption that people either do attend worship services, or they don’t.
"But what we find in this study is that up to one out of every five Americans is attending worship services at least occasionally during the year, even though they are not regularly involved. That has huge implications for local congregations who are trying to attract new people," Sellers added.
Traditionally, people who attend worship service at least once a month and on a regular basis have been considered "churched" whilst those who do not attend frequently enough have often been labelled "unchurched", according to the Phoenix-based research firm.
A new study, released Monday by Ellison Research, broke down the American population into a more detailed picture of religious service attendance.
Results showed that only 63 per cent of "churched" Americans actually attend worship services once a week or more; 12 per cent of the "churched" attend three times a month; 16 per cent attend twice a month; and 9 per cent go to service once a month.
Among "unchurched" Americans, not all stay away from worship services, the research firm reports. Findings revealed that 18 per cent of the "unchurched" say they visit services occasionally, just not regularly. In addition, 22 per cent of the "unchurched" attend on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter.
Sixty per cent of the "unchurched" do not attend worship services at all, the Ellison study found.
