(RNS) — Majority Latino congregations report growth and stability in attendance and, on average, have younger participants, a sharp contrast to the declining attendance and aging congregations in most churches in the United States.But more than other congregations across the country, Latino faith communities also face significant financial challenges.
The findings from a new Hartford Institute for Religion Research report, released Tuesday (Dec. 12), provide a rare look at the state of Christian churches with a majority population of Latinos.
“Latino congregations, by and large, constitute a more vibrant aspect of congregational life in the United States, particularly Christian congregational life,” said the Rev. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, author of “Latino Congregations: Trends from the Faith Communities Today (FACT) and Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) Studies.”
“They tend to be larger congregations and tend to have younger members and this is, I think, similar to the Latino population as a whole in the United States.”
“Latino Congregations Trend Younger in Age” (Graphic courtesy of Hartford Institute for Religion Research)
The report notes that Latinos, who comprise 18.7% of the U.S. population, increased by 23% from 2010 to 2020, according to the latest U.S. Census.
RELATED: Study: Religious attendance dips slightly after pandemic
Lizardy-Hajbi, a sociologist of religion at Iliff School of Theology, said the report is unique in its look at this topic, which has previously been the subject of case studies and ethnographies.
It breaks down the share of majority Latino congregations, where Latinos are 50% or more of the attendees. The findings indicate that 7 in 10 (71.8%) were evangelical Protestant, while 15.1% were mainline Protestant and 12.8% were Catholic and Orthodox.
“Religious Affiliations of Congregations” (Graphic courtesy of Hartford Institute for Religion Research)
However, 6 in 10 Latino congregational worshippers attend evangelical Protestant churches (61.7%), while about one-third are in Catholic churches (33.8%) and only 4.4% in mainline Protestant churches.
Overall, Latino congregations have a median of 80 weekly worship attendees, compared with non-Latino congregations, with a median of 65.
Even as Latino congregations fare better in attendance, they and their leaders struggle more with financial matters.
Overall, giving per capita in Latino faith communities based on average attendance is $1,250, compared with $2,000 for all congregations, the report stated.
Before COVID-19-related lockdowns, 62.7% of these faith communities said their financial health was “excellent” or “good.” Afterward, a much smaller percentage — 26.1% — used that description. Those citing “some” or “serious” difficulty shifted in the same time frame from 2.4% to 41%.
“This trend is mirrored across all U.S. congregations, but it is reflected more drastically within Latino faith communities,” Liza …
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The findings from a new Hartford Institute for Religion Research report, released Tuesday (Dec. 12), provide a rare look at the state of Christian churches with a majority population of Latinos.
“Latino congregations, by and large, constitute a more vibrant aspect of congregational life in the United States, particularly Christian congregational life,” said the Rev. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, author of “Latino Congregations: Trends from the Faith Communities Today (FACT) and Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) Studies.”
“They tend to be larger congregations and tend to have younger members and this is, I think, similar to the Latino population as a whole in the United States.”
“Latino Congregations Trend Younger in Age” (Graphic courtesy of Hartford Institute for Religion Research)
The report notes that Latinos, who comprise 18.7% of the U.S. population, increased by 23% from 2010 to 2020, according to the latest U.S. Census.
RELATED: Study: Religious attendance dips slightly after pandemic
Lizardy-Hajbi, a sociologist of religion at Iliff School of Theology, said the report is unique in its look at this topic, which has previously been the subject of case studies and ethnographies.
It breaks down the share of majority Latino congregations, where Latinos are 50% or more of the attendees. The findings indicate that 7 in 10 (71.8%) were evangelical Protestant, while 15.1% were mainline Protestant and 12.8% were Catholic and Orthodox.
“Religious Affiliations of Congregations” (Graphic courtesy of Hartford Institute for Religion Research)
However, 6 in 10 Latino congregational worshippers attend evangelical Protestant churches (61.7%), while about one-third are in Catholic churches (33.8%) and only 4.4% in mainline Protestant churches.
Overall, Latino congregations have a median of 80 weekly worship attendees, compared with non-Latino congregations, with a median of 65.
Even as Latino congregations fare better in attendance, they and their leaders struggle more with financial matters.
Overall, giving per capita in Latino faith communities based on average attendance is $1,250, compared with $2,000 for all congregations, the report stated.
Before COVID-19-related lockdowns, 62.7% of these faith communities said their financial health was “excellent” or “good.” Afterward, a much smaller percentage — 26.1% — used that description. Those citing “some” or “serious” difficulty shifted in the same time frame from 2.4% to 41%.
“This trend is mirrored across all U.S. congregations, but it is reflected more drastically within Latino faith communities,” Liza …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]