More Americans are starting to go back to church, as the number of COVID-19 cases declines.
Life in church communities is slowly becoming more vibrant. A new Pew Research Center survey finds confidence in returning to in-person worship is on the up in the United States, as is March attendance year over year. According to Pew, three-quarters of adults who regularly attend religious services now say they are at least somewhat confident they can do so in-person safely.
In Texas, church leaders say we're doing better than most because our facilities have been open longer.
“So, compared to some of the other states that are just now opening, we’re definitely in much better shape. More people are attending churches. We are hearing churches continuing to fill back towards their original capacities,” Dave Welch, with the Texas Pastor Council, said.
Welch says it was beneficial the governor did not impose lockdown restrictions on churches. He expects many congregations will continue to hold both in-person and live video services for Easter Sunday, April 4th.
“The spread having slowed dramatically; I think most people are comfortable. They’ve been out in public, they’re shopping. They’re going about their daily lives more effectively,” Welch added. “So, we are seeing that take place as far as church attendance as well in large part.”