Study of COVID-19 Impact on U.S. Protestant Church Giving

This research article examines the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. Protestant church giving, prepared for ACS Technologies. The study analyzes data from 7,922 Protestant churches over a five-year period, focusing on changes in giving patterns before and after the pandemic. It tests three hypotheses regarding attendance, church size, and the adoption of digital donation methods. The findings indicate that there was an initial 5% drop in collections during the first six months of the pandemic, which later recovered to 1% below pre-pandemic levels. Notably, smaller churches experienced a more significant increase in collections compared to larger churches. Additionally, the study highlights a substantial rise in digital giving, with the share of congregants utilizing digital methods increasing significantly. The article also discusses the implications of these trends for church sustainability and donor engagement moving forward.