Study of COVID-19 Impact on Presbyterian Church Giving

This document is a study examining the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on giving within the Presbyterian Church (USA). The study aims to understand how church attendance and giving patterns have changed since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. It tests three hypotheses regarding attendance, church size, and the adoption of digital donation methods. The findings indicate a 6% drop in collections during the first six months of the pandemic, with a subsequent recovery to 4% below pre-pandemic levels. Notably, the number of donors decreased significantly, posing risks to long-term sustainability. However, the average annual giving per donor increased by 18%. The study also highlights a substantial increase in digital giving, with the share of congregants using digital methods rising by 153%. The methodology includes an analysis of five years of giving data from 462 churches across the United States, providing insights into regional differences and church size impacts on giving trends.