HPI
USA, March 22, 2009: Pastors tend to expect increased church attendance when times are hard; but a poll by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life indicates that the present recession is not following that pattern. Though the stock market has dropped precipitously over the last two years, the percentage of Americans attending worship services at least weekly has stayed relatively stationary, Pew researchers found–although there was some variation based on income levels.
From January 2007 to January 2009, weekly church attendance rose from 37 percent to 42 percent among people making less than $30,000; it dropped slightly among those making between $30,000 and $75,000; and it rose slightly, from 37 percent to 38 percent, among those with incomes over $75,000.