Overall, the study found that 17% of churches had one or more members die of COVID-19 and 37% had a least one staff member test positive for the virus.
The study also found widely varying giving patterns. While 4 in 10 churches saw an increase in giving, another 3 in 10 reported a decline in donations from members.
The study, titled “Navigating the Pandemic: A First Look at Congregational Responses,” is the first of a new five-year project led by the institute at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (formerly known as Hartford Seminary). It is based on a collaboration among 13 denominations from the Faith Communities Today cooperative partnership and institute staffers.
It has an estimated overall margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The multiyear “Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations” project is funded by the Lilly Endowment.
This article originally appeared here.
